That was the scene Natsu and Lucy arrived to. He barely noticed the rescue team make their way around the battlefield, attempting to avoid the main skirmish. He was immediately in his own battle, a woman with spikes sticking out of her skin having cut him off from following Lucy. Spikes flew out of the womans skin towards him, being washed away by the wave of water he brought up in his defense.
He had no other time to prepare as she lunged at him, her needle sharp fist slamming into his jaw. Natsu tumbled ass over teakettle before righting himself quickly, gashes causing blood to drip from his jaw. The woman was nearly on him again, and he quickly brought up a wall of ice, creating a thick barrier between them. The spiked kick that had been aimed at his chest now caused the woman to be stuck to the ice, cursing in what could only be Spanish.
Natsu swallowed as he raised his hands to the ice wall, willing himself to finish it. He knows he must, just as Regin had said. If he doesn't, she could go after someone else.
Like Lucy.
The ice wall crashes down on top of the woman, his own icy spikes spearing her to the ground. He's nearly sick at the sound, turning away as her scream of pain gurgles into nothing.
It feels like an eternity has passed, and yet Lucy has not made it far from him as she runs through the battle, the earth rising up around her as she fights. Natsu is swept into another battle, this one with a set of twins with a set of sparking batons that seem to appear out of no where.
In the next instant one is beside him, the high powered electric baton slamming into his chest. He falls back with a pained cry, his muscles convulsing as he tries to right himself and stumbles back. The second twin is in front of him, and Natsu realizes that what they posses is incredible speed. He manages to dodge the second baton, kicking the man square in the chest as hard as he can. He stumbles back, slipping on the ice that is now beneath his feet.
The small area is now a ring of ice, and as one twin tries to approach, the ice causes him to over shoot. A blade of ice now in hand, Natsu counters the next attack with a devastating slash across the mans chest. He stumbles back, his twin yelling in anger before charging Natsu. Raising the ice blade in defense, it sinks into the mans stomach, and Natsu has to turn to let the man drop.
He turns back to the injured twin, only to see a man standing beside him. The twin grips the mans ankle, blood trickling out of his mouth. "Nathan... Help me..." The man begs, coughing slightly.
The man, Nathan, looks at him with disgust in his pale green eyes, kicking his foot free. "If you can't take care of a punk like him," he holds his hand palm down over the man.
"No... No Nathan please!!" The man tries to drag himself away as Nathan brings his hand into a fist. Blood gurgles out of his mouth as he jerks, falling face first onto the ice.
Natsu pales as he realizes what the man did, the ice thinning around them as those pale eyes lock on him. "Those are just some cheap tricks boy," Nathan says calmly as water rises to his hands, slowly encasing his arms in ice. "Let me show you the true strength of water."
Levy watched in awe as all of the flyers jumped out of the plane. There were actual gasps, however, when the three dragons jumped out. Erza met her gaze before she jumped out, smiling as a bright light engulfed her, growing exponentially as she shifted. When it faded, a brilliant red dragon was there, its beautiful wings extended, and a look of sheer glee in its brown eyes—Erza’s eyes.
“I’ve never been able to see her like that,” Jellal breathed, complete admiration and love on his face. “It’s more stunning than I imagined.”
“I still can’t believe you’re married to an actual dragon,” Natsu snorted as the hatch closed.
“I wouldn’t have it any other way,” Jellal smirked. “And I’m not the only one here who prefers dragons.” He glanced over at his green-haired companion, chuckling.
“You’re the sorcerer Erza was talking about, right?” Levy asked.
“Freed.” He nodded. “I’m glad the essence of Caron seemed to have helped you.”
“I’m still pretty weak, but the pain is a lot less now, thank you.”
“Did Jellal say you’re married to one of the other dragons, too?” Cana asked from her seat beside Juvia. Levy noticed her wounds were close to healed as well, so she assumed Erza had used the essence on all of them.
“Both of them, actually,” he chuckled, looking slightly embarrassed. “Mira and Laxus are a handful, but I love those two idiots.”
“How you haven’t killed Laxus is beyond me,” Jellal snorted, smirking.
“If only it were that easy,” he snickered. “Mira’s come close a few times, especially when he attempts to cook. We’ve lost three houses in the last eight years.”
“Two dragons and a sorcerer, living together in a house. Sounds like the beginning of a bad joke,” Cana teased, causing everyone to laugh.
“Alright, everyone listen up,” Lily announced, silencing the loud group, “it’s time. In just a few moments, we’ll land on the coast. The weather is against those of us without increased stamina, so we will need to move quickly. We are in luck that it is early into the day, so we still have several hours before the sun begins to set and the temperature begins to drop significantly. The hike to Etherios’s bunker is about four miles, and thanks to the snow, I’m guessing it will take close to two hours to reach it. His supporters will intercept us on the way, I’m sure, so we must close as much distance as we can before that happens.
“Because of the remote location, he hasn’t bothered to conceal the bunker’s whereabouts, so it will be easy to see once we arrive. Getting inside is going to be a challenge, however. Etherios is sure to hide himself away inside with several of his strongest fighters. They are also holding captive one of our own: Gajeel Redfox. He is a skilled fighter that Etherios has targeted directly, so freeing him would greatly benefit our side of the battle.” Lily paused, looking around the room. Levy could tell he was taking in everyone’s faces, etching them into his memory.
“This is going to be a tough battle,” he went on, “I’m not going to sugar-coat it for you. You all knew what you were getting into when you agreed to join me, so I know you’re aware of the risks. Some of you won’t be going home with us when this is over; this plane will have more empty seats than I would ever like it to. But, this will hopefully be the last war of its kind. If we can put an end to Etherios, we can put an end to this needless violence.”
“Here’s to ending this,” Jellal said, smiling sadly.
“Here’s to ending this,” Lily nodded.
Levy watched as Jellal returned to the front of the plane where his sister was waiting to help him land it, and Lily went off to speak to different groups and give them specific instructions for when they landed. She sighed, wondering what types of powerful people they were about to face.
“Everything alright?” Lucy asked, touching her hand.
She smiled at her friend, nodding. “Just nervous. I want to get Gajeel back and for all of this to be over already,” she admitted.
Lucy smiled. “I know how you feel. I’m ready to head back home for a nice, long, vacation.”
Levy giggled. “It’s funny to think that that’s how all of this started. With a simple vacation to Australia to meet some internet friends.”
“Friends who turned out to have super-human abilities, ties to a secret crime-fighting organization, and who were hunted by an evil psycho hell-bent on taking over the world,” she grinned, causing Levy to laugh.
“And that.”
“How are your injuries?” Lucy asked, looking more serious as she glanced at Levy’s arms.
“A lot better,” she said, repeating what she’d told Freed, looking down at herself in surprise. She hadn’t really paid attention to them since she’d woken up, but she felt a lot better. “I’m still not one-hundred percent, but I’m definitely getting there. Maybe seventy-five. I can’t believe the blisters are gone already, they just look like scaly calluses, and my broken bones don’t feel quite as broken.”
“I still want you to take it easy out there,” Lucy told her.
She smiled, squeezing her hand, “you know I can’t do that. It’s Gajeel we’re going in there after.”
Lucy sighed, “I know. I figured it wouldn’t hurt to try to get you to, though.”
She chuckled. “Once this is over, then I can take it easy.”
“Once this is over, we’re all going to finish up our vacation and enjoy lounging on the beach for two weeks,” Lucy agreed.
“Juvia and Cana, you two will make up the reconicence team with Jellal and me. Once we find Gajeel and have made sure he’s alright, you will bring him back here—unless he’s able to fight, then you will all join everyone else outside the bunker. Jellal and I will handle Etherios.”
“What about me?” Levy asked, frowning. “There is no way I’m staying behind! I came all the way here with everyone, so I’m going to help!”
Lily sighed. “Fine, you will join the reconicence team. But, once Gajeel is recovered, you will come back to the plane—Juvia, you will make sure she gets here.”
Juvia nodded. “Oui!”
“I’ll be going with them too, then,” her Papa said.
Levy frowned at him. “Papa, you have to—”
“I already told you, didn’t I? It doesn’t take legs to shoot,” he chuckled, holding her hand gently.
“I need you to stay with Arina,” Lily told him. “She is another of our snipers, so I need you two off the ground to watch the main group’s backs as they fight outside.”
“You can protect everyone with Arina,” Levy smiled, patting the hand he held onto her with. “As good as you are, everyone else will need you more out there.”
“Keep Baghira with you at all times,” he warned.
She nodded. “I will, Papa. He won’t leave my side.”
“And there’s no way I’m staying behind, either,” Natsu snapped. “Gajeel is my cousin, so I should get to be on the team that goes after him.”
“How well can you bend metal?” Lily asked, flatly. “I need you outside—where there is plenty of snow, AKA, water—to help our main forces. You and Lucy have powers strengthened by the outside, so that’s where I want you, not inside of a metal building where your abilities are limited. That’s why I chose Cana and Juvia to assist inside—their abilities will be more beneficial to helong Gajeel escape.”
Natsu cursed, but he didn’t argue any more. They all knew Lily was right. Honestly, Levy was surpsied at how thoroughly Lily had thought things through in such a short amount of time. He is the leader for a reason, so I should have expected as much.
“Now that that’s settled—”
“Our flyers have engaged,” Jellal announced, cutting Lily off. “Erza just reported through her headset. They’re outside of the bunker, and the enemy has engaged. They’ll be sending people after us shortly. We need to move fast.”
“Anyone who can withstand a jump,” Lily said, turning to the group, “to the back. Jellal will be letting you out here now that we’re lower. You will go ahead of us to join the flyers.”
Nearly half of the group went to the back, including Cana’s father and brothers. Levy watched as she hugged them, wiping at her teary eyes once they had gone out the now-opened hatch.
“Cana’s family will be fine,” Juvia reassured her, placing a hand on her shoulder.
Cana grabbed it, sighing. “I hope you’re right.”
Levy could feel the plane touch ground, and she had no more time to think about anything else. Everything was happening too quickly for that. The plane barely had time to come to a complete stop before the hatch was pulled for the final time and the remainder of the group rushed out. Levy summoned Baghira after hugging her father goodbye, climbing onto her spirit’s back so that she could keep up with the rest of the quick group.
“This will be difficult,” Baghira spoke into her mind as he ran.
She scratched his ear. “I know, but it will be over soon. And then we can all go home.”
“I promise to ensure that you do.” She could feel her spirit’s smile, and her own worry lifted slightly. Yes. They were going to make it through this and go home together.
The plane was large, Erza could never remember the names of the different aircrafts. She preferred to fly on her own pair of wings, and she hadn't been able to do that in centuries. This craft in particular was military grade, meant to hold dozens and dozens of soldiers plus their cargo. That was exactly what they were going to use it for.
Erza was helping her friends onto the plane, all but carrying Levy to her seat. Stubborn girl, she thought as she sat the blue haired girl down. She was still hurting, her loose clothing brushing against blistering skin enough to make her dizzy. Yet she still refused to be left behind.
Erza knew how to help though, in a small way.
"Try to stay awake til I get back," she told Levy as she straightened.
"Sure thing boss," Levy said, trying to keep the strain out of her voice.
Erza smiled at her before turning away, she always admired the girls fighting spirit. She wound her way through the quickly filling plane, nodding in greeting to those who spoke to her. She was on a mission, looking for one man in particular.
"Erza! Here!" she turned to the sound of the voice, seeing an arm waving over several heads.
She made her way to him, smiling when she reached him. "Freed, so glad ya made it."
"Like I'd miss the big fight, or keep Laxus away for that matter. " Freed was a tall man, a sorcerer with a thick British accent lacing his words. His long green hair was braided back from his face and his eyes a soft blue. He wore a sleeveless coat that stretched to his thick black boots, showing ancient writings tattooed onto his arms. A rapier rested at his hip, usefuly when the had to get up close with an enemy. "Besides, I had to deliver this to you didn't I?"
Erza easily caught the small red jar Freed tossed her way, tucking it into her jacket. "Your a dear lad."
"Not many people need essence of Caron anymore, especially since there's only one tree left."
Erza smiled, a bit sadly. "Those trees used to be all over the highlands, we used to tend to them. One of the young ones was injured badly in the Italy attack, she'll be needing all the help she can get. Any left over I'll use on the others."
Freed nodded as he turned to finish helping loading things into the plane, "Let me know if you need anymore. There's still time to harvest before it hibernates for the winter."
Erza nodded her thanks before turning back to the others. It took her a bit longer to reach them, there were more people on the plane than before, but soon she was kneeling in front of Levy. She was glad the girl had yet to put her jacket on, leaving her poor arms exposed.
Levy cracked her eyes open as Erza uncorked the jar, breathing in the sweet Caron perfume. "What is that?" she asked, her voice only slightly less strained.
"This is essence of the Caron tree. It is an ancient tree once cared for by us dragons," she informed her as she dipped her index finger into the paste. "There is only one tree left in existence, and it is in the hands of a trusted sorcerer. This is made with its sap, and has unique qualities." She gently dragged her finger against Levys skin.
The woman tensed and hissed in a breath, before sighing in relief and going boneless.
"What does that do?" Cana asked as she knelt beside Erza to watch.
"It helps ease pain, the scent alone does that, and helps increase ones healing rate."
"So, what, it's a magical healing potion?" Natsu asked.
Erza chuckled lightly as she continued to put the cream on Levys arm, writing in ancient Dragonic. "Not quite. Human bodies aren't meant for quick healing, yer cells and metabolism can't keep up. Unlike mine, which is made for that. The cream, along with the spell I'm writing, will start mending the major damage. The burns will lessen but wont go away all together yet, bones will begin to knit, as well as deep skin tissue. There is still a chance of scaring, but she will be in much better shape to fight. I'll use the left overs on those of ya who have more troublesome injuries."
By the time she was finished explaining the spell was written on both of Levys arms, and the girl was beginning to doze off. Erza set the jar down and took Levys hands in each of hers. Erza took a deep breath, and as she exhaled smoke drifted from her nose, and warmth spread from her to Levy. The cream on her arms glowed a warm honey gold before slowly dimming, and she released their hands.
Levy cracked open her eyes and smiled tiredly. "Thank you Erza."
"Not a problem lass. You should sleep the whole flight, it will help with the healing."
Levy nodded slightly and closed her eyes, falling fast asleep. Erza had everyone settle into their seats and began using the rest of the cream on Natsu and Cana. When she was finished the doors of the plane were closing, a hush falling over the overfull plane.
Erza stood, pocketing the jar as she did. "Get some sleep, it will be the last you'll have in awhile."
She turned and headed for the front of the plane, where she knew Jellal was preparing to take them into the air. As she made her way into the cockpit, she caught sight of his copilot, a slightly younger woman who was nearly Jellals twin, her long blue hair braided back from her face much like Freeds.
"Arina! I didn't think you'd make it lass!" Erza grinned as she sat opposite of her husband.
The woman grinned as she pulled on a headset. "You really didn't think I'd let you and my brother of all the fun again did you?"
"Are we ready to take off?" Came Lilys voice as he entered the cockpit.
"Say the word boss," was Jellals answer, the engines roaring to life to warm up."
"By your leave Fernandez."
With that, Jellal and Arina piloted the plane down the private runway in Denmark, taking off for the Siberian wilderness. In all actuality, they headed for a small island just off the Northern Russian shore between the Laptev Sea and the East Siberian Sea called the New Siberian Islands. The plane would fly over the main island, delivering the first attack before landing on the Eastern coast of the island and unloading their army.
Once the plane was at its elevation, Jellal gently took Erzas hand and kissed her palm. "Get some sleep dragonfly, it will be the last you have in awhile," he said, echoing her earlier words.
Erza snorted lightly at the usual nickname but did recline in her seat, never releasing Jellals hand as she dozed off.
She was awoken several hours later to Lily called silence to the crowded plane. She stood, pausing when Jellal tugged on her hand. "Be safe love," he told her sternly.
Erza smiled and leaned down to press a tender kiss to his lips, one that soon grew hot and almost desperate. She reluctantly pulled back and squeezed his hand. "I don't do gallows kisses sweetheart."
Jellal smiled a bit guiltily, "Then be safe like I told you." He gave her another swift kiss before finally releasing her hand.
Erza made her way into the belly of the plane where Lily was informing everyone once again on the landing plan, finishing with "Flyers to the rear." She made her way to the back of the plane, along with about two dozen others. There were witches and shifters, as well as two of her dragon kin.
"Glad to see you made it Mirajane, Laxus." She greeted them.
"Wouldn't miss it for the world!" Mirajane said with her usual bright smile, her Scottish accent matching her own. She was a beautiful woman, tall with long snow white hair that was currently tied into a bun at the back of her head. Her eyes were a deep gray, with a fire burning in their depths that her cheery smile hid well.
"Like I would miss fighting beside you again," Laxus said with a small grin of his own, his brogue rumbling in his chest. His short golden hair was spiked in a Mohawk, a jagged scar went over his right eye. He was a large man, even larger than Gajeel and was stacked with muscles.
"It'll be nice to spread our wings again," Mira said excitedly as she stretched.
Pleasantries were abruptly ended as, with a loud groaning, the back hatch of the plane began to open, revealing the barren land below them. There were commands for non flyers to stay strapped in so as not to get sucked out of the craft, having to shout over the rushing wind.
There were whoops of excitement as shifters and witches ran for the abyss, jumping out into the ether. The three shared a sharped tooth grin before following after the others, leading from the platform.
It had been ages since she had experienced the wind rushing through her hair, whistling in her ears and the feel of weightlessness. As the ground grew ever closer, she shifted.
A/N: Hey guys! I'm so sorry this took me so long to finish!! The end of the semester got a bit crazy, and this sort of got pushed to the back during exams, but I'm on break now! *throws confetti while sobbing* (Please tell Wifey what an angel she is for waiting for patiently on me for LITERAL MONTHS while I wrote this chapter! She deserves it for putting up with me... XD) I hope you all enjoy!
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KEY:
Russian
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“Damn,” Gajeel growled. He knew that lightning asshole had hit him pretty hard, but he didn’t appreciate pounding in his head as he began regaining consciousness. His arms were also throbbing, no thanks to the thick chains wrapped all the way from his wrists to his shoulders, trapping him firmly to the wall behind him. Looking around, he realized he had no idea where he was. It was cold, he could tell that by the mist in the air left by his breath. How long have I been out? That was important information he wished he knew. It might give him some idea about where the hell he was.
When he heard footsteps approaching him, he tensed, waiting for that lightning bastard and the rest of Etherios’s followers to appear. Needless to say, he was shocked when Etherios himself walked into the cold cellar, and it felt as if his deep green eyes stared into Gajeel’s very soul, sending ice through his veins.
“Where the hell am I?” He spat after a long silence.
Etherios sighed, leaning against the wall as if they were having an average conversation. “Such a cliché question. You couldn’t be a little more creative?” Gajeel’s native Russian rolled off Etherios’s tongue as if he had spoken it his entire life.
“You wanna talk about cliché?” He scoffed. “Try getting kidnapped by a damn lunatic villain, and waking up chained to a wall in some creepy-ass dungeon.”
Etherios clicked his tongue, visibly annoyed. “I’m no villain, Gajeel. I am doing the world a favor by purging it of those weak humans. You are either one of the strong, or it is only right that evolution picks you off. We are the next generation, my friend, so it is time to take our rightful place on top.”
“Lunatic villain,” Gajeel frowned. This guy is crazier than I thought. Talk about watching too many damned X-Men movies…
“I am not a villain!” He snapped, annoyance slowly turning to anger. His green eyes flashed with fury for an instant before he took a deep breath and smiled. “You will soon see that I’m in the right here, Gajeel. You’ll join me in time.”
“Like hell.” Gajeel growled. “I refuse to help you hurt any more of the people I care about.”
“Those people will turn on you eventually. The more powerful you grow, the more they will fear you.”
“They won’t—”
“Do you think that pretty blue-haired summoner will stay with you forever?” Etherios scoffed, amused. “Gajeel, she will be the first to leave you. She may even be more powerful than you are.” He paused a moment, then smiled. “Perhaps I’ll recruit her next. I was going to kill her with the others, but she managed to take down quite a few of my men. I may have use for her.”
“You leave Levy out of this!” Gajeel snarled, pulling against the chains. The metal screeched as he pulled against it, but it never budged.
Etherios laughed, crouching down so they were eye-level, that damned smile still on his face. “Perhaps, if you cooperate, I’ll give her a place in my ranks beside you. Wouldn’t that be nice? You could have your power and your woman.”
“If it’s coming from you, I don’t want it,” Gajeel spat in English.
“We’ll just see what she has to say, then,” He sighed, getting to his feet. “She may be more willing to join me. That is, if she’s still alive.”
Gajeel felt the blood rush from his face. “What do you mean?”
“From what Darryl told me, he left her practically smoldering on the ground.” He chuckled. “All of your little friends got a little shock when what remained of my men left them. I wonder how many are still alive? We’ll find out when they arrive, I suppose. It has been nearly two days since our last visit to Italy, so they should be arriving within the next couple of days. Pantherlily will be with them, I’m sure. I’ll take great pleasure in watching that bastard finally die.”
“Lily’s organization will stop you,” Gajeel said.
“He has been trying for several years, unsuccessfully. Do you honestly think your friends will be of assistance to him in the war that is about to happen? His men have been training for years, honing their skills and learning how to fight against others with powers. You and your friends are practically children, with no experience in battle, and with barely an understanding of the limits and true extent of each of your powers. You will be killed before the real fighting even begins.”
“We held our own against your men in Italy,” Gajeel snapped.
“Yes, but we see how that ended, don’t we?” He smiled, looking pointedly at the chains on my arms. “Next time, there won’t be chains awaiting the losers, Gajeel. Remember that.” He left before Gajeel could reply—if he’d even been able to reply. He knew Etherios was right. There would be no mercy in the next fight. Etherios’s men wouldn’t be trying to capture and leave. No. They’d be there to kill.
Gajeel pulled again at the chains on his arms, again to no avail. They creaked, but they never gave way. He sighed in frustration. He should have expected Etherios to be prepared with chains that could hold him—he knew exactly what his powers were, after all. But that still didn’t stop him from trying. When he thought his arms might pull from their sockets from the force of his struggling, the door to his cell opened.
“Those chains aren’t going to budge, no matter how hard you pull on them,” a woman said, smugly. She flipped a long orange curl over her shoulder, glaring at him with golden eyes. “They were designed by master Etherios himself. Not even he could break them.”
“What the hell do you want?” He growled, glaring back at her.
She smiled, sauntering over to him as if he should be impressed. “I came to bring you dinner and take you to the little boys’ room. After a couple days knocked out, you probably need it, right?”
“And you’re taking me?” Gajeel scoffed, wondering if Etherios really was a lunatic, sending such a small woman to guard him, especially knowing his strength.
“Don’t act so shocked,” she said, sounding bored as she unhooked his chains from the wall and clasped them together behind his back. “Obviously I can handle myself. Why else would master send me?”
Not wasting any time, he attempted to pull free, and immediately felt a strong zap through the chains that sent him to his knees.
“Metal is a very strong conductor of electricity,” she said, casually. “My twin brother brought you down to bring you in, so I can handle keeping you in check long enough for you to do whatever you need to.”
“Damn,” he grumbled. So, she’s that bastard’s sister. She walked them down a hallway, stopping in front of a large door. With surprising speed, she undid his chains, clasping them together in front of him.
“You have exactly four minutes,” she told him, opening the door to what he saw was a bathroom.
“How do you know I won’t break through the wall on the other side and escape,” he frowned.
She laughed, the shrill sound grating every nerve in him. “Go ahead and try, but if you do, you’ll get a nice little zap. This room is made of metal.” And he knew what that meant with her lightning ability.
Cursing, he went inside the room and slammed the door behind him. Ok. I need a plan. He inspected the room, looking for any possible way out. There was none. That bastard Etherios thought of everything, didn’t he? And I don’t even have a phone to contact the others with. He suspected he was in another country entirely, so he doubted he could reach his friends in Italy, anyways.
Levy. The thought suddenly assaulted him, now that he had a moment alone. Etherios had hinted that she’d been badly injured before they’d taken him away. Lightning was dangerous—and that man hadn’t used just regular lightning. It was strong enough to bring him down, so it was powerful. He couldn’t imagine how that might affect someone without his stamina. Damn it! How the hell am I supposed to protect her if I’m stuck in God-knows-where with no plan, and no idea how the hell to escape?!
It hadn’t even been a week since he’d told Levy his feelings, and he’d already managed to fuck up by getting captured by Etherios. What an idiot. Levy’s never going to take me seriously if I’m a god-damned damsel in distress!
“Thirty seconds,” came that annoying woman’s voice from outside the door.
“I’m comin’ damn it,” he snarled, opening the door and going into the hallway.
She didn’t bother adjusting his chains behind him, she just grabbed one of his arms and pushed him forward. She was pretty strong for such a small woman. The idea for an escape suddenly hit him, and he almost felt like an idiot for taking so long to think of it.
Wendy.
Why he couldn’t get out, he could help the others get in. Or at least tell them where he was. Etherios had said they could be arriving soon, meaning they had a general idea where the Etherios’s hideout was. And I can lead them to me.
He paused, frowning. No, that won’t work. She’ll be staying back in Italy because this mission is too dangerous. If Lily knew what was good for him, Wendy had better be made to stay in Italy where it was safe.
Shit, there goes that plan. What else?
“Eat,” the woman instructed, locking his cell behind her as they entered it. She didn’t tie him back to the wall, but instead handed him a plate of food.
“What if I’m not hungry?” He snapped.
She rolled her eyes. “Eat the damned food.” When he hesitated, she grabbed one of the rolls off the plate and took a bite of it. “It’s not poisoned, you idiot. Master need you alive, otherwise you’d already be dead.”
“Why do you follow that bastard?” Gajeel asked, stuffing his face. He was hungry, whether he wanted to admit it or not, and the food was decent.
“Master Etherios is a revolutionary,” she said, a look of wonder coming over her face. “He has big plans for this world, and I want to be a part of that.”
“What kind of plans?”
“He already told you, I’m sure,” she sighed. “He wants to get rid of all the weaklings, and pave the way for the strong. Those without gifts could never truly accept us, even if they pretend to at first. There will always be a part of them that fears us, and eventually that fear will win out, causing them to turn on us. So it is up to us to strike first. Eliminate them before they eliminate us.”
“That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard,” he scoffed. “You can’t just go around killing people because they don’t like you. That isn’t a good enough reason.”
“What if they try to kill you first?” She asked, angrily.
He smirked. “You think someone without powers could kill me?”
“They will develop ways,” she said, a dark look coming over her. “If the fear is great enough, they will find a way to hurt you, even if you have done nothing wrong.”
“And who hurt you?” he asked, handing her his empty plate.
She looked startled. “Who says someone hurt me?”
“Listen,” he sighed, “just because you met one bad person, it doesn’t mean everyone without powers is evil. My dad has no powers, but my mom and I do, and he loves us just as much as any other husband and father would.”
“And what about the children born of regular parents?” She snapped. “Not everyone is understanding.”
“Maybe not, but like I said, not everyone is as fearful as you claim they are. Some are accepting. If we don’t give them a reason to fight, they won’t. If we live our lives, most people won’t even know about us—”
“Why should we have to stay hidden?!” She dropped the plate to the ground, stepping towards me. “Just because they might fear our power, why should we have to hide? We didn’t choose to be this way! We didn’t choose these gifts! So why should we be punished for them?!”
“And why should those without gifts be punished?”
She stopped abruptly, her golden eyes wide. “I—”
“May.” They both turned towards the door of the cell when a man spoke. That lighting bastard—her twin brother—stood in the doorway, his arms crossed and his eyes hard.
“Jay,” she said, straightening, “why are you—”
“Master Etherios requests our presence in the council room. Chain up the prisoner and come. Now.”
She nodded, quickly doing as he said. Before leaving, she met Gajeel’s eyes, conflict obvious on her face. At another command from her brother, she rushed out, leaving him alone once again.
Sighing, he leaned his head against the wall. Maybe I can convince her to help Lily and the others when they get here. She was strong, and he could tell she didn’t really want to fight, it was more because she felt she had been wronged. However, before she’d left, she looked like she might have agreed with what he said.
“I might have a chance out of here, yet,” he said, hoping he’d read her expression correctly.
