Changed few parts of this chapter.
Enjoy and review!
"Ugh, I am so exhausted!" moaned Stella, sluggishly walking through the trail.
"We get how you feel, Stella, for the fiftieth time," said Musa, with an annoyed expression.
"I can't believe Miss Faragonda sent us out on a late-night mission! Traveling to a foreign realm and fighting against a rapid monster drained my powers! What's worse is that I'm starting to get dark circles and wrinkles!" Stella continued to complain.
Tecna whipped around and shouted, "Stella, you've been complaining since the beginning of the mission! You're not the only one who's exhausted and drained! So, please, just shut up!"
After Tecna chasisted Stella, she turned around and continued walking. Stella crossed her arms and stuck her tongue out like an angry child.
Several hours ago, Headmistress Faragonda sent the Winx to a foreign realm to stop a magical beast from causing widespread rampage. They successfully completed the mission, but at the end of the ordeal, their powers were drained. The six fairies were able to use their remaining magic to return to Magix, but were unable to directly transport themselves to Alfea. Instead, they winded up at the outskirts of Magix. Now, the Winx must walk through the dense forest to get to the city.
"Don't worry, Stella. We're almost there," assured Flora, in a sweet tone.
"Stella, think of this as an exercise. You always said you wanted to shed a few pounds. Walking is a good exercise in burning calories," said Layla, who was leading the Winx.
"Walking in the middle of nowhere at midnight is not the type of exercise I prefer," pouted Stella, "By the way, why were we sent on this mission in the first place? Isn't this kind of mission best suited for specialists?"
"The beast was no ordinary monster," answered Tecna, "It was an intelligent creature that was not only substantial in strength, but in magic."
"That beast really did put up a good fight," said Layla, rubbing her bruised elbow.
"Definitely," agreed Musa.
"Miss Faragonda sent us on this mission because she believes in us," said Bloom, "She knows that we're very capable fairies."
"Of course, we're the Winx after all!" exclaimed Stella, flipping her golden locks in an arrogant and humorous manner, "We're the most strongest and prettiest fairies in Alfea."
"Have some humility, Stella," chuckled Musa.
"Girls, look! I can see the city lights!" exclaimed Flora, pointing at a specific direction.
The Winx looked and saw the city of Magix. They were relieved to see its vibrant lights. The city view signified that they were almost there. Once they arrive to the city, they'll use the public transportation to get to Alfea. The fairies moved ahead with excitement; however, one of them did not follow. The five stopped and turned around in curiosity.
"Musa, what's wrong?" asked Bloom.
"I heard something," said Musa, with a startled expression.
"It might be animals roaming around," said Flora.
"Yeah, like Flora said, Now can we please hurry up?! I want to get out of here quickly!" said Stella, impatiently.
"No, it's not animals. If it were animals, I wouldn't have said anything. I heard multiple footsteps and metal clattering. I think we're being followed," said Musa, feeling the chills down her spine.
The Winx couldn't deny Musa's superior hearing. The fairy of music was sensitive to sound. She could detect the most faintest, ambiguous sounds and pinpoint where they are. After hearing her explanation, the Winx became paranoid. Everyone looked around their environment to spot anything out of the ordinary.
"Okay, girls," said Bloom, "Let's hurry before-"
Suddenly, Bloom was cut off when ten mercenaries came out of hiding. The Winx screamed and huddled.
"Who are you?!" asked Bloom, demanding to know their identities.
One of the mercenaries, who was dressed differently from the others, stepped forward. Judging from his appearance, he was the leader. Bloom repeated her question, but none replied.
The leader gave a hand signal and ordered, "Capture them."
The second the Winx heard his order, they immediately dashed off. As they ran, they heard the mercenaries chasing after them.
"Why are they after us?!" asked Flora, with a frightened expression.
"How am I supposed to know?! Why don't you ask them yourself?!" shouted Stella, in frantic sarcasm.
"Less chatting, more running!" shouted Tecna.
The Winx almost reached the city; however, the mercenaries caught up and surrounded them.
"You have nowhere to run. Surrender peacefully and we will not use force. If you resist, we will do whatever it takes to bring you in," said the leader.
"What do you want from us?" asked Flora, with a fearful expression.
"You will find out soon," replied the leader.
"I don't think so!" shouted Layla.
Layla charged at the leader and attacked. She threw impressive punches and kicks, but he managed to dodge them. When Layla threw a forceful punch, the leader grabbed her wrist and twisted her arm behind her back. Layla yelped when the leader did so. Quickly, he held her body against his and placed a dagger against her throat.
"Layla!" screamed the terrified Winx.
"If you do not wish to see your friend's throat gushing in blood, surrender," threatened the leader.
The Winx exchanged looks of fear, confusion, and worry.
"Choose now!" shouted the leader, pressing the dagger against Layla's throat. A droplet of blood rolled down on Layla's throat. The Winx screamed in horror.
"Alright, we surrender! Please don't hurt our friend!" begged Bloom, in a hysterical tone.
The leader put away his dagger and handed Layla to another mercenary, "Restrain them."
His subordinates approached the fairies and placed manacles on their wrists and collars on their necks. The girls attempted to use whatever magic they regained to fight back, but when they did, an electric current shocked them. The unpleasant sensation caused the fairies to yelp in pain.
"Don't even try. Those collars were built to inhibit and neutralize magic," informed the leader.
The Winx hopelessly looked down in defeat.
"Move out!" ordered the leader.
The mercenaries dragged the Winx further back into the outskirts. The fairies turned their heads and saw the city grow further away. They felt dejected and helpless in their situation. The girls were scared of what was going to happen to them, but one of them remained strong.
"You'll regret this. It won't be long until everyone finds out we're missing," said Layla.
"Be quiet," warned the leader.
"Wherever you're taking us, we won't be there for long. We'll be saved and the rest of you will go to prison."
"I said be quiet."
"Once you're caught, you bastards will rot your pathetic lives away!"
The annoyed leader turned around and forcefully slapped Layla in the face, causing her fall on the ground. The Winx gasped in horror and screamed her name. They wanted to go up and check on her, but they were restrained by the mercenaries. Before Layla could rise on her own, the leader grabbed her by her hair and faced her by an inch.
"I warned you to be quiet. Now, if you say another word, I'll put a bullet through your head," threatened the leader, holding a pistol against her head.
Layla glared at the leader. The violent slap across her face left a bruised handprint on her left cheek and a bloody cut on her lips. The stinging pain of the slap caused her cerulean eyes to tear up. The fairy of water tried to put up a strong front, but trembled in fear. The leader smirked at this sign of weakness and released her. Layla wiped the blood off her lips and rose on her feet.
"Move out!" the leader ordered for the second time.
Fifteen minutes later, they finally arrived at a ship. It was almost the same size as the Owl from Red Fountain. The Winx began to feel more melancholic and fearful. Once they get on the ship, they'll be taken away to an unknown place. They may never see their loved ones again. Right before they boarded the ship, they suddenly heard trees rustling and twigs snapping on the ground. The mercenaries pulled their weapons out and faced where the noise came from. The Winx stood still, confused and anxious.
"Who's there?! Show yourself!" shouted the leader, holding up his pistol.
After a moment of silence, someone emerged from the distant shadows. It was a fairly tall person whose identity was concealed by a hooded cloak.
"Who are you?! Identify yourself!"
The cloaked figure did not reply. An eerie aura exuded from the cloaked figure, rendering everyone uneasy. Knowing that this mysterious individual witnessed their activity, the leader gave an order to his men.
"Kill him!"
The mercenaries aimed their rifles at the cloaked figure and fired. Surprisingly, the cloaked figure evaded the bullets with amazing reflexes. The cloaked figure's agility surprised the mercenaries, including the Winx. The cloaked figure rapidly bolted towards the mercenaries and attacked. At the sidelines, the Winx witnessed the combat in awe. They were dumbfounded by the cloaked figure's power, speed, and technique. The cloaked figure disabled the mercenaries by crushing their bones with bare hands. The Winx couldn't help but gape. After the subordinates were taken down, it was finally between the cloaked figure and the mercenary leader. The two engaged in a one-on-one battle. The leader brawled at the best of his ability, but was easily overpowered by the cloaked figure. Exhausted and beaten, the leader resorted to his last dirty trick. He pulled out a hidden pistol from his back holster and fired multiple shots at the intruder. However, the bullets suddenly stopped a centimeter away from the cloaked figure. This occurrence shocked the leader and the Winx. Through telekinesis, the cloaked figure manipulated the bullets and shot them back at the leader. The bullets traveled at the same velocity as they were fired from the gun. They pierced through the leader's body, but missed his vitals. The leader screamed and collapsed in pain. The mercenaries, who were able to stand and walk, picked up their leader and comrades and boarded the ship. They disregarded the Winx and retreated. Once the mercenaries got on, they flew out of sight.
After the defeated mercenaries escaped, the cloaked figure turned around and faced the Winx. The Winx snapped out of their shock and stared back at the cloaked figure. As the cloaked figure approached them, the girls recoiled in uneasiness and fear. They were unaware whether or not the cloaked figure was good or bad. To their relief, the cloaked figure came over to free them. During the fight, the cloaked figure stole the key from the leader. After unlocking the collars and manacles, the cloaked figure walked away.
"Wait, hold on!" shouted Bloom.
The cloaked figure stopped and stood still.
"Who are you?"
The cloaked figure ignored her question and continued to walk away.
"Hey, hold it right there! You can't just walk away from us!" shouted Stella, offended by the cloaked figure's rudeness.
Stella marched over to the cloaked figure from behind. She grabbed the cloaked figure by the hood and pulled it down. This sudden action rendered the cloaked figure to turn around. The Winx finally came face-to-face with their savior exposed.