Author's Note: I know that Layla and Roxy were not in the show during the first season, but this is kind of an alternate universe, so I think them being here isn't that much of an issue. Other than that, enjoy chapter two.
The crunching of leaves sounded off as the heavy boots made their way across the dead and battered terrain. The shoes were made of leather, and were accompanied with steel plated toes, making the owner seem far more intimidating. Yet, at first glance, they wouldn't look intimidating at all.
She appeared as though she should only be seventeen years old, however her face was worn, her eyes were tired, and her body was heavily tattooed in scars. Her red hair, which seemed like it once had better times, like it had once been pampered and loved, was now tattered, and cut, only being a short, roughly chopped pixie-cut.
She walked briskly past the makeshift cabins that had been constructed in Safe Haven, eventually making her way to the main cabin which held their leaders, and council members. She roughly pushed back the tarp and walked in, those who had been speaking, immediately silencing. The woman made her way to the large wooden table that stood in the middle of the room, and she threw her gun down upon it, along with a map.
"I see that you have finally returned, Bloom." A frail voice says.
Bloom looks up, and nods. "Sorry I took so long, Miss, but you know how it is with those Croats, they never seem too keen on releasing their prey."
The older woman nodded and made her way to the younger female, her withered and bruised hands trailing over the map. "What news have you learned?" she asks.
Bloom grabs a nearby pen, and she begins to put several markings on the map. "Well, the witches haven't done anything new...everything is silent near Necropolis-but silence is never a good sign, is it?"
Those who were in the room began mumbling to each other, their voices filled with concern.
"They've done nothing new? Are you certain?" Miss asks, slightly skeptical of this information.
Bloom nods her head. "There are probably a bit more Croats than there were last week, but there is no new development on the seals."
Miss nodded. "Where did you see the most Croat population? If we need to raid one of their villages, we'll need to know what we're up against."
Bloom nodded, and circled an area with the pen. "They've seemed to increase near the West. I'm not really sure why, though."
"Do you think that's where the monster shall be released?" A voice in the back questions.
Bloom shrugs. "I'm not sure, Palladium, but if the witches were going to release something big, I believe that they would do it near Necropolis rather than anywhere else."
The people nodded in agreement to Bloom's statement.
"So, we'll send a team to diminish that group in the West tonight...try and get some supplies while you're out there too, will ya? We're running low on medicine and alcohol." A girl with long, dark, red hair snaps, as she walks over, and hands Bloom a small list. Bloom took the piece of paper and pocketed it in her breast. "I'll try my best, Mirta...this reminds me, can I talk to you in private?" Mirta nods, and follows Bloom out of the cabin.
"Yeah, what is it?"
Bloom continues walking until they reach the cabin with the words "TEAM FREE WILL" written in big, bold, white lettering across the doors. "Have you heard anything from Sky and his raid in the South?"
Mirta frowned, and out of her nervous habit, she began to trail a jagged scar that ran across her left eye, while the white pupil began to fritter nervously in its socket as she did so. "I know you hate sugarcoating so I'll just be straight with ya, Bloom. The news came to us this morning when they pulled up. The only one that survived was Lucy, but…" she bit her lip to prevent unshed tears from pouring out of her eyes. "Tecna shot her down as soon as she made her through the gate."
Bloom's face remained hard and cold to this news, even though she was upset. "Did the Croats get them?"
Mirta shrugged. "We're not sure. Lucy had been pretty beaten up, more so than usual if they had been dealing with Croats. She had a large chunk taken out of her left leg, and she had spikes imbedded in her back. We're thinking that the decays might have gotten to some of them before the Croats did."
Bloom nodded. "Thank you, Mirta. Have you informed Musa that Riven will not be returning either?"
Mirta bowed her head solemnly. "She was with Tecna when Lucy came in. She found out then."
Bloom dismissed Mirta after all the recent news had been said, and she made her way inside the cabin.
She walked in and greeted her friends as she saw them. "Musa, Tecna, Layla, Roxy, Flora." She stated, the women turning and nodding their heads at her in salutation.
"So, I'm guessing we have a new mission?" Layla asks, as she placed a cigarette to her lips, and inhaled, smoke soon fuming out of her nostrils.
Bloom shook her head. "I discovered a big pack of Croats in the West, and we need to take care of at least half of them."
"Are we going shopping as well? I saw you out there with Mirta." Flora states, a sly smile on her face, as she finishes sharpening her knife.
Bloom chuckles and walks over, sitting down among them. "Yeah, seems we're low on booze and meds."
"How many Croats are we dealing with?" Tecna asks.
"I'm not sure...I didn't get a good look at how many there were while I was on patrol, but I'm guessing around eighty...or more."
Tecna and Roxy both grinned maliciously, almost simultaneously. "Well then I guess this would be a good time to introduce you all to a little toy that Roxy and I have been working on for the past couple of weeks."
Tecna and Roxy got up from where they were sitting, and made their way into another room, where they returned with gas masks and and small circular objects.
"What are those?" Musa asks, and raised a quizzical eyebrow.
"These, my friends, are called pestis'. They are bombs that Roxy and I have designed, and they carry a lethal gas."
Roxy placed the weapon she currently carried, delicately on a nearby table. "Using my knowledge on animals, and Tecna's knowledge on science and technology, we created a hydrogen chloride bomb that never touches the projector, it only aims towards whoever you're trying to kill."
Tecna gave a little head nod to concur with the information. "This bomb is easy to handle, its light, and its power is very destructive. Hydrogen chloride causes severe burns to the skin and eyes, and with the amount we've packed in here, there's enough to suffocate whoever breathes it."
The women were intrigued, and Bloom delicately touched the small orb on the table.
"All that can happen from one little ball? That's pretty impressive." Musa said, and nodded in approval.
"But what are the masks for? If the gas doesn't go near those who launch the weapon, why do you them?" Flora asks, a frown on her face.
"Well, even though the gas does not go near those who throw it, if we want to walk around wherever the bomb was thrown, we're going to have to wear them. The residue will still be in the air, and will harm you if you don't wear a mask." Tecna explained.
"But what about our skin?" Layla snaps. "I don't want to come back covered in burns, you know."
Roxy chuckled. "It's called covering yourself in a shield."
"This is great, fantastic work you two." Bloom says, a devilish smile on her face. "Grab as many of these as you can: we leave at nightfall."
The six women made their way quietly through the solemn wasteland, careful to not make a sound. Bloom led the way, and she kept her gun raised high as her friends trailed close behind her.
"How far off is this place, Bloom?" Flora asks, as she brandished her knife in the dark.
"I'm not sure, but it didn't take me too long to get there...Tecna, can you tell our current position?"
Tecna stopped, as did the others, as she pulled up a holographic map. "The blinking green circle is where l we are now. Where is this place?"
Bloom stepped forward and pointed to an area in the West.
"You mean the hills of Xibir?" Musa questions. "Is that where they are?"
Bloom sneers, and then gives a shrug. "Well, I guess that's where they are." The five nodded and they soon continued their journey, eventually making it to the hills.
"So, how exactly are we supposed to get close enough to throw these things?" Layla asks, quickly spotting the small group of Croats.
"Well, we don't exactly need to get too close to them to throw it...we just need to throw them in the right spots." Tecna whispered, as she took several bombs out of her bag.
"And just how difficult is that going to be? We don't exactly have all the time in the world to do this, Tec." Musa snarls, growing slightly impatient.
Tecna glared at the fairy of music. "Then if you want this plan to succeed, I suggest you follow my lead." she hisses back, just as she began to slowly make her way towards the bottom of the hill-the others following suit.
She stopped when they finally reached their destination, while the rest gazed over the area.
"You were right, Bloom, there are definitely a lot more Croats here than last." Layla said.
"It's gonna feel so good taking these bastards out." Flora chuckles, and took out her weapons as well.
"Okay, I think we should split up into teams of two: Bloom and Musa, you throw both of your bombs to the left; Layla and Flora, you throw yours to the right; while Roxy and I throw ours near the center. Got it?" Tecna said, barking out the battle strategy. The group nodded in agreement, and soon split into their teams, and they all got into their positions quickly.
There was a silence between them before it being broken by the war-cries of Musa and Bloom, as they ran near the village of Croats, as they tossed their bombs into their designated direction. It wasn't long before Roxy and Tecna did the same, with Layla and Flora quickly following suit.
"Put your masks on!" Roxy shouts, over the coughing and squealing of the dying Croats.
The group quickly places on their masks and raises their shields, watching in satisfaction as the gas spread and rolled over the hills, choking and burning whatever it dare touch. Croats ran and screamed, snarling and snapping at each other as they tried to escape the blanket of death that overcame their land. In a matter of minutes, the gas cleared, revealing the hundreds of corpses that littered the fields.
Bloom grinned malevolently, and the rest laughed harshly at their victory.
"That was totally bad ass!" Musa shouted, and raised her fist in the air in celebration.
"Yeah, well done you two! You've made the ultimate killing machine!" Layla chuckles, and gives the two purple-haired fairies a thumbs up.
"Alright you guys, time to get ourselves some payment." Bloom states, and makes her way into the dead village with the rest following to get their own share of the "shopping list."
When they made it back to Safe Haven, they were greeted by nods and smiles as they walked in with their arms full of supplies.
"Nicely done, girls!" Mirta states, and gives them a kiss on the cheek as a thank you.
"No problem Mirta." Bloom says, as she took off her mask.
"Yeah, it was actually pretty fun." Musa says, a giggle escaping her.
Mirta chuckles and snaps her fingers, which caused several other women to come over and take most of the medicine and drinks from the girls' arms.
"Hey Mirta, you forgot this." Flora teases, as she wiggles a bottle of gin.
"Keep it, you've earned the right to celebrate!" Mirta laughs, giving a wave to the group before she walked away.
"Well you heard her: let's celebrate!" Roxy shouts, and the group burst into a roar of laughter as they made their way into the cabin. Drinks were piled on as the night went by, and their voices rang out in victorious song as they all praised the small victory.
