Chapter 4 Start
The teams had been decided and they have set out. Natsu and Gray had been a team, which seems like a very bad idea since they are more likely to fight each other and take their enemies out in a cross fire. Erza had joined with Lucy since Lucy may need a strong wizard with her as she calls her spirits into battle. Which left Axel and Wendy as the final group, which neither of them really minded.
The teams had been dispatched an hour ago, so they still had a ways to go before reaching their destination, the Shrouded Woods, where one of the Dark Wings bases were said to be, by Axel.
"Sky Dragon Slayer Magic." Axel said suddenly, capturing Wendy's attention.
"What about it?" she asked.
"From what I have seen you do. From healing poison to shooting tornado like blasts, it seems quite amazing."
She smiled at his comment "Thanks, Grandine taught it to me."
"Grandine...your foster mother?"
"Yeah. She took care of me for a number of years, then like Natsu's and Gajeel's dragon parents, she disappeared." Wendy said, her smile fading.
"I see." He paused and then asked Wendy "How old were you when you were taken in by her?"
"About..." She stopped and thought about it "I'm pretty sure I was only around 3 when I was 5 or 6."
"I hope you don't mind me asking, but do you remember anything about your past before you were taken in by Grandine?"
She stopped walking, from the surprise of not being asked the question, but of realizing she never thought of her life before "N-no...I never even thought about the years before she took me in..."
"I expected as much." he responded.
"What do you mean you expected that?" Wendy said catching up to him since he hadn't stopped walking.
"I just mean I didn't expect you remembered your past from before that point."
"Because I was to young to remember?"
"That could be one reason."
"Why are you so hard to figure out...?" she muttered.
"I do it on purpose so no one can find out what I am thinking and will never find me predictable."
"Oh. How far is the Shrouded Woods?" she asked catching the subject.
"Not far from here." he responded "The fog should appear soon."
"Fog?"
"They aren't called shrouded for no reason. They are shrouded by thick fog which only lessens in the middle of the woods, or once you get far enough away from them. Not to mention the fog is so thick it's almost impossible to see even a foot in front of you."
"So how are we going to find them in the forest if we can't even see?"
"Well they are located in the middle of the forest so if we keep going the same way once we enter we will find the middle at some point."
"No plan?"
"Nope. Just hoping that we will find them." the first wisps of fog started to appear in front of them now "Wendy, one more thing." He said, stopping.
"What?"
"I will tell you this now, the building we are going to is where the connecter will be. I am sure of it."
"How are you so sure of it?" She asked.
"Well." He turned and handed her a piece of paper "Stole their schedule." Axel responded with a smirk.
"How did you manage to take that off of them?"
"Let's just say pickpocketing is a very valuable skill."
"How do you know they will follow this?"
"Because I also reversed pick-pocketed them. I made a copy and slipped the real one back into their pocket."
"You knew the connecter would be in this one...even before you requested help. You want to take the connecter yourself, don't you?"
"Yes. Wendy, you may return to the guild if you don't feel up to the challenge of taking on the guild and the connecter, the strongest member of the 1st division of Black Wings."
"I'm not leaving. I'm going with you to handle this."
"Axel turned to her and gave a small smile "Then glad to have you along." He said as he started to walk again. Within a few seconds the few wisps of fog had turned into a wall of fog "As soon as we walk in there our vision will be rendered almost completely useless, in other words we have a chance to lose each other."
"Then what should we do?" Wendy asked.
Axel thought for a moment "It's quite easy to figure out." he said taking Wendy's hand "Hold tightly and don't let go." Wendy seemed a little flustered, but stayed silent as Axel led her into the fog.
They had been walking for about 20 minutes in silence before Wendy spoke up.
"Are you sure you can defeat the connecter?" She asked, not being able to see the Axel at all.
"I'm sure. She is the strongest of the 1st selection. I was the former one, just no one knew."
"The connecter is a female?"
"Yes. She will know I am a traitor as soon as she sees me. I have someone with me and since I am no longer in the guild, I have no reason to be there."
"Since you left the guild, would you still be considered a traitor?"
"Joining a Dark Guild is a lifetime deal. If you leave you need to be aware of a few things. You say anything that hinders them, you will be hunted down. You attack any of your former team mates, you are marked and once again hunted down. Pretty much I am going to be the main target when ever we meet Black Wing members."
"By leaving the guild and attacking them-"
"I am their enemy forever. They brought this upon themselves and they will soon regret it."
"Be careful what you say." A voice came from somewhere in the fog and Axel and Wendy froze in place.
"Who's there?" Axel called out.
"You don't remember me? Well I remember you Zuma."
"A Black Wings member..." Axel paused "The Demon Of The Fogs, Janzo."
"Glad to hear that you remember my name, but if I am correct, you are not of the Black Wings anymore, and you have an enemy with you. You will be marked a traitor with your next actions."
"Wendy" Axel whispered "He can see in the fog, we are at a huge disadvantage here."
"I hear all in the fog Zuma, you can't hide a thing from me! You must die!" Suddenly Axel's hand was torn from Wendy's separating the two in the thick fog.
"Wendy, protect yourself!" Axel called out a fist hit his face, sending him rolling back.
"I must thank you for bring the girl Zuma." Janzo said to him "She will be coming back to the base once I kill you so we can find out some information from her, before we kill her."
"Sorry to tell you, but I'm not going to allow that."
"You have no choice. Fog Compression!" The fog around Axel started compress, binding his arms and starting to crush him.
"D-damn it..." Axel muttered "You can't defeat me with this!"
"Tough talk from someone that is being crushed."
"Roar Of The Sky Dragon!" Wendy unleashed the tornado like blast near where she heard Axel's voice and the force of the attack dispelled the fog around Axel, freeing him and revealing a man with pale gray eyes and hair, a black cloak over his body.
"Good job Wendy!" Axel moved quickly, tackling Janzo to the ground, grabbing his throat as he pinned him down, the fog forming again.
"Let me go!" Janzo shouted as he controlled the fog, solidifying it and causing it to smash into Axel's back.
"I've had enough of you now. Let me make one thing clear. My goal is not just to cause the guild to disband, my goal is to kill every member I can!" Axel pushed down harder onto Janzo's neck "So this is the end of you." Plasma surrounded Axel's hand around his throat and a moment later the fog stopped pounding his back and all signs of life faded from, Janzo.
"Wendy, where are you?" Axel called as he stood up.
"I'm over here!" she called out. Axel moved though the fog, which had not reduced and a moment later he walked into her, knocking her down "Sorry."
"I-it's fine." She said getting up and grabbing his hand again "Did you kill him...?"
"I killed him." He confirmed
Wendy stayed silent for a minute then asked "Why is the fog still so thick then?"
"He wasn't making the fog, he was using it with his magic. The fog is natural."
"Meaning we still have to walk through all this fog?"
"Yup, but seeing as how we came across him, we must be close by." Axel said as he and Wendy started walking again.
Ten minutes of walking later and the fog lessened the the building came into site. It was not a castle like the one in the graveyard, but it was still bigger then any normal guild.
"There it is." Axel muttered, moving closer "They will outnumber us without a doubt, but we have the element of surprise."
"You sure we can win?"
"Of course. Must of the members are only capable of using dark magic, like the mage that Erza fought back at the graveyard. It can be almost unstoppable, but many mages are incapable of controlling it to the extent. In the 1st division of the guild you are very unlikely of seeing magic other then dark magic, like my Plasma magic or Yumi's poison magic."
"So since this is a weak branch-"
"We will have an easy time." Axel let go of Wendy's hand as he walked closer, forming a grenade of plasma in his hand "I say we tell them we are here." Axel whipped the grenade through a window and a moment the building lit up with crackling green plasma "Come on Wendy!" Axel shouted running towards the doors of the building. Wendy followed quickly, catching up to him just as he kicked the doors in. Many of the Dark Mages were on the ground, and wounded.
"Looks like we can win. "Axel smiled.
"You...You're Zuma!" One of the wounded called out "You were one of us!"
"I was never one of you. I was forced into the guild." Axel made took a dagger from a hidden pocket and threw it into his throat, killing him. Wendy averted her eyes from the body.
"Where is the connecter?" He asked the remaining wounded.
"Zuma, I am surprised you are back already." A female voice called out.
Axel turned quickly "There you are." He said, with a small smirk "Yue."
"I hope that the damage you caused was an accident and you are here to rejoin the Black Wings." She had eyes the color of diamonds, and long brown hair. Her looks made her seem helpless, but looks could be deceiving.
"Sorry Yue, but this was no accident. I'm here to destroy this building and gain information from you."
"You have become a traitor?" She asked glaring at him.
"Let this be for answer." Axel formed another plasma grenade and threw it at the already wounded members. The grenade exploded, finishing off the other mages that were caught in the blast.
"You are going to regret this Zuma." Yue said.
"The name's Axel." He said as his plasma surrounded his body.
"Who's the little girl?" Yue asked.
"A partner. A wizard of Fairy Tail."
"So you have joined Fairy Tail now? Looks like I have no choice but to kill you both."
"Like you could." Axel said dashing at her.
"Zuma, or Axel, do you know what my magic is?" She said grabbing his plasma covered fist, with her shadow covered hand.
"Mastery over dark magic?" He guessed.
"Exactly." Suddenly her hand grew darker and Axel was sent flying backwards and out the guild doors. He found himself staring at the sky and stood up, coming back into the guild.
"If that's all mastered Dark magic is capable of, I don't think I will-" Yue disappeared in shadows and both Wendy and Axel looked around for her.
"Behind you." A voice behind Axel said before a blade of darkness stabbed through his stomach, taking him to his knees "Tough talk, but you aren't as strong as you think."
"Maybe not, but you are not very observant." Axel said with a smirk.
Yue turned as Wendy ran at her, right hand aglow with magic.
"Sky Dragon's Crushing Fang!" As she got in range she swiped at Yue, causing a trail of wind to be created, and from the force of the attack and the wind, Yue got blown back and into the stairs.
"Nice one Wendy." Axel said somehow getting back to his feet despite the blood pouring from his wound.
"Wait Axel, let me heal you." She said placing her hands on his back, and after a few seconds the wound closed and stopped bleeding.
Axel moves away "Leave it like that. As long as I'm not losing blood."
"But the skin isn't healed yet..."
"We have no time for that." Yue got up and was glaring at them both "You have two enemies to face, not just one." Axel said in a mocking tone.
"The little girl can fight I see. It doesn't matter if it is one or two enemies, you will both die here!" The room suddenly got darker, but not to dark to see "You will now face the true power of darkness!"
"Be careful Wendy." Axel warned, as he watched Yue.
"Darkness can hurt someone in many forms." She said as waved her hand in front of her and a moment later Axel was taken to the ground by an unseen force. Axel reacted by covering his body in plasma and dashing at her. She brought her hand down and Axel jumped to the side as the floor where he was just standing broke. Axel rose his hand at his side, forming a ring of plasma around his hand.
"Plasma Ring!" He threw it towards Yue and she stopped it with a wall of darkness.
"Come on Zuma, you are underestimating me." Axel put his hands together like he was praying.
"My name" numerous magic circles appeared behind him "is Axel!" Orbs of plasma started to shoot out the magic circles at extreme speeds, connecting with Yue and dealing damage to her, but Axel wasn't done. He changed stance, one hand pointed to the ground and one above pointed above Yue's shoulder, making more magic circles appear behind her "And you and all of The Black Wings" Changing stance again one hand to the the ceiling just above Yue and to the ground under her, causing magic circles to appear in those two places as well. "Have ruined my life!" Plasma orbs shot from the roof, ground and behind Yue, now coming from each direction, dealing massive damage to her. Axel kept the orbs shooting for about 30 seconds before the magic circles suddenly disappeared and both he and Yue fell to the ground, Yue on her stomach and Axel to his knees.
"Are you all right?" Wendy asked coming to his side.
"I'm fine...I just used to much magic...and exhausted myself..."
"Does that mean it's over?"
"Looks...that...way." Axrl said, breathing heavily.
"Then how are we supposed to get the information from-"
"It's not...over." Axel and Wendy both looked at Yue, who was now struggling to get to her feet.
"Just stay down..." Axel muttered.
She got to her knees and slyly smiled "Zuma, you really think I will go down so easily...?"
"Stop acting tough...that move should have taken you down..."
"Darkness can act as an armor as well."
Axel stood up "Looks like I have to still have to fight." Axel said building plasma up around his arms, but suddenly the plasma crackled and Axel lost control as it burned his hands "Dammit...I don't have enough magic to keep it controlled.
"Looks like this fight is mine. You can't do a thing now, so I'll take out the girl in front of your eyes before I kill you!"
"You're not going to touch her!" Axel said angrily.
"Try and stop me." She retorted as she started to create a jet black orb in her hands "This is the true power of the dark." The orb compressed it's self "Eternal Slumber!" The orb shot from her hands and Wendy, not having time to ready magic, brought her hands up over her face and closed her eyes. Yet after a moment and it not hitting, she opened her eyes to see Axel had gotten up, and was shielding her.
"Wendy! M-move now!"
"A-Axel?!" She said surprised.
"Move!" She did as she was told and a moment later the orb unleashed a huge black beam, consuming Axel, and Wendy if she had stayed there. As the beam fired something detached from Axel's neck. A necklace made of blue and gold metals forming the chain and attached to the chain was a golden star shaped locket. The beam faded and Axel was now flat on the ground, shirt shredded to nothing, and chest bloodied. Wendy ran over to him.
"Axel, are you okay?"
He didn't respond for a moment and then managed to utter "R-run..."
"I'm not going to leave you! You saved me by taking that attack for me!"
"Then...d-don't make it in v-vain...she's to strong for you..."
"He's right little girl. I am much to strong for you to handle. Just run and leave Axel here for me to finish off." Wendy stood up and turned to Yue, taking a few steps forward.
"No." She said with a determined expression "I will not leave him. I will finish this fight."
"W-Wendy...it's no use...just r-run..." Axel shouted, his strength starting to leave him.
"You are really going to challenge me girl? Are you sure about that?" Wendy stood her ground, defiant "So be it. I'll take you down first as planned." She said a blade of darkness forming in her hand. Wendy started with the first move.
"Roar Of The Sky Dragon!" She shot the tornado like blast at Yue, but she jumped into the air above ready and brought her sword down, preparing to cut Wendy. Wendy noticed quick enough and readied her magic.
"Sky Dragon's Wing Attack!" She rose her hands up and then back behind her as two whirlwinds appeared around them causing a massive amount of wind to build up in the building, sending Yue, her intended target, into the stairs and then into the far wall, and onto the ground
"Wow...Sky Dragon Slayer magic...really is amazing." Axel muttered to himself, as the wind died down.
Yue stood up, her legs shaking and her blade gone "You are more annoying then he is..." She muttered as she rose her hands above her head "Lances Of Dark, Pierce My Opponents!" She called down as lances materialized behind Yue "Fly!" the lances shot out at Wendy and she jumped into the, flipping as she did so and once again readied another attack.
"Sky Dragon's Claw!" She swung her legs at Yue, causing more built up wind to fly at her, damaging her and once again lifting her into the air, smashing her against the ceiling and then allowing her to fall to the ground. The lances also disappeared. Wendy's breathing had gotten heavier now, due to her using her magic and healing Axel a little while back, and she didn't have much left in her. Yue hadn't moved for a moment and Wendy was relieved since the battle was done..or so she thought. A moment later Yue groaned and lifted her self to her knees then to her feet again, somehow, despite taking the attack that Axel gave her, along with all of Wendy's attack. She smiled as she looked at Wendy.
"What are you waiting for? Not going to attack me again? Afraid your next attack may be your last and I will dodge?" Yue walked towards Wendy and she took a step back "Seems all that energy you had is gone now. This is going to be to easy now." She dashed in front of Wendy and punched her in the stomach, causing Wendy to bend over it "Seems like Sky Dragon Slayer Magic is too tiring for a little girl like you." she pulled her fist back and kicked Wendy down beside Axel. Wendy slowly lifted her self up to her hands and knees.
"Wendy, kneel down." Axel whispered. She obeyed and whispered something to her and she got up, not making any notice she heard him.
"Now I can finish you both off in one last attack." She tried to take another step, but couldn't "W-what?" she looked down and saw green energy, crackling and unstable, around her ankles and she glared at Axel "You bastard, release me!"
Axel just smiled "It's over. Hurry Wendy, I can't hold it much longer!"
Wendy stood beside Axel and reared her head back "Sky Dragon's Roar!" She shot the roar at Yue, and at this a range and her be held in place by Axel there was no way she could avoid it. The roar made direct connect with her and this time as the roar hit the wall, it broke through it, taking Yue outside of the building.
"Wendy...I'm sorry I doubted you. You are much stronger then I thought." Axel said as she sat down beside him exhausted.
She she beamed at his compliment "Thanks."
"Anyway, I hate to ask you after you took her down, but do you think you have enough magic to heal me enough so I can move? We can't let her escape now."
"I'll try." She responded as she placed her hands on his back, starting to heal him. After a few moments she stopped, her hands shaking "T-that's all I can do...sorry."
Axel tried to push himself up, but couldn't quite manage. He looked around and spotted a crafted staff near the wizards he killed "Can you get me that?" He asked Wendy pointing.
Wendy didn't want to go near the bodies but she did so quickly and handed it to him "Here..."
"Thanks." He tried getting up, using the staff as a cane and this time managed to get up "Let's hurry and see if she got away." They both moved slowly outside, Axel from his injuries and Wendy from low magic power. They got outside, and moved to the side of the building where Wendy's roar had broken the wall and they found Yue on the ground, knocked out.
"We will get the information from her through questioning...but we need a way to prevent her from fighting back and escaping." Axel told Wendy.
Wendy looked around and sat the trees at the edge of the thinner fog had long thick vines "Would they work?" She asked Axel.
He looked in the direction of them and shrugged "Better then nothing. I hate to ask, but would you mind getting them, I am close to useless with my injuries."
"I understand." She said going to the closest trees and pulling as many vines as she could carry off them and then took them back to Axel, who was now sitting down.
"Thanks." He tuned Yue onto her back and started to tie your hands behind her back then started to tie her ankles together. After she was securely tied up he looked at Wendy who was sitting as well.
"How do you think the other are managing?" He asked her.
"Knowing Natsu and Gray, they are most likely finished, and the building most likely destroyed. Erza is also strong so we may be the last ones to return."
"We had to fight the connecter though, which made this a lot tougher."
"She wouldn't stay down though..."
"Endurance was all she really had going for her. You seemed able to dodge most of her attacks and she never really tried to bring out her strongest ones."
"We were lucky then."
"I guess so. I'm sick of waiting for her to awake." Axel rose the staff and smacked Yue's head with it, causing her eyes to shoot open and notice the situation she was in.
"I was defeated..."
"Yes you were and now you are going to answer my questions." Axel told her.
"Fuck you!"
"Look Yue, my magic is very unstable at the moment, if I have to use it to persuade you to tell me I will, but it won't be under my control and may hurt you more then I intend to."
"I am not telling you anything!"
"Have it your way." He said placing two fingers on her forehead "Plasma Injection." Her eyes went wide and she suddenly fell on her back, rolling back in forth, screaming in pain. Wendy looked away.
"Sorry." Axel said over the screaming "I know you hate seeing people get hurt, or killed." After a moment Yue stopped screaming, but her eyes were still open and her breathing was ragged. Axel placed two fingers on her forehead again and she gave in.
"I'll tell you! Just no more! In my pocket, there's map, every connecter has one! They show the hideouts where we can contact the next connect in case of anything the leader needs to confirm, like a member wanting to leave the guild! My map shows all of the 2nd division hideouts!"
Axel took the map from her pocket and looked over it "An entire map of Fiore, fit on such a small piece of paper. No exact locations just general areas. Why?" He asked her.
"In case of something like this happening."
"I see." He says and glances at Wendy "You may not want to see this, so would you mind going back in the building and getting my necklace?"
"O-okay..." She got up and went back into the guild. She saw the necklace where it had landed and picked it up, noticing a magic circle craved into the star locket and came out, to find Axel now standing in front of the doors, and she saw there was a little blood on his hands and she didn't bother asking whose it was. There was no doubt that Yue was now dead. She handed the necklace back to him, in the hand that was not holding the staff.
"Thanks."
"This is important to you, isn't it?"
"Very important. More important then many things in my life."
"What is the magic circle on it for?"
It's pretty much like a lock. If someone other then me tries to open it, they will be shocked and it will stay closed."
"What's in it that is so important?"
He smiled slightly "Maybe I will show you one day, but soon-"
"All will become clear." She finished for him sighing.
"Exactly. Now we should start back to the guild. It will take us a while anyway, with the states we are in." Wendy nodded, staying silent and they started their trek back to Fairy Tail.
Chapter 4 End
See? I promised the next chapter would be longer and for the reviewer named silkbrit, I hoped I added enough Wendy in this chapter for your liking XD. Anyway I hope you all enjoy/enjoyed this chapter.