Erza and Juvia stood behind one wall with Black*Star next to them and Tsubaki in her small knife mod tucked in Black*star's belt, all three peeked around the corner and continued to watch as Kim and Jaqueline walked in guards' uniforms that they swiped off two that Erza knocked out. The two of them were walking towards the double doors at the end of the hall with the three exceeds between them in chains, unlocked chains but still chains.
"Oh, how I hate this plan." Carla complained the whole way about something about the lair, the cleanliness, how the rusty chains would ruin her outfit, how Happy and Lily were walking too fast for her, how her paws hurt from walking, she even once mumbled that Happy looked stupid covered in mud to hide his blue fur. I think you get the idea.
Everyone has gotten used to tuning her whining out. Besides her constant complaints the hall was silent. Hearing a pair of footsteps coming towards them Juvia, turned into water and quickly got behind the pair. "Love Rivals." Was the last thing either of them heard as Juvia quickly and effectively knocked them out. Not letting the bodies drop, Black*Star appeared and held both up before disappearing in the shadows and coming back empty handed. Most likely dropping the two bodies off where he had deposited the first two, and all the other guards that came their way.
At this point Erza was thinking that they had to have wiped out the entire lair's security.
Ignoring that thought, Erza had stayed where she was to continue to watch the five in front of her, not risking for a second that something might happen to them, not wanting something to happen to any one of them. Once they reached the doors, Carla had shut up and all three started to act like cats, Juvia and Black*Star were standing at the other side of the halls entrance. The three of them slipped back far enough to not be noticed, but still close enough if something were to happen.
Black*Star heard the doors open and shut soon after, after counting to five the three of them got closer to try and hear what was going on, on the other side of the door. All three pressed one ear against the door, to try and hear what was said.
"We caught these three cats." Kim had taken the role of speaking, which was good, Jaqueline had terrible acting skills. At least Black*Star thought so.
"So? Girls, you're only supposed to capture males." A voice none of them had heard before spoke, it was silky and caring, like a mother's, when she was being patient with a disobedient child.
"Two of them are male." More foot steps coming down the hall towards this one, a bit faster than any they had encountered before. Rolling her eyes Juvia quickly went, Black*Star went have a second after her. Erza started to pay even closer attention now that they were gone.
"Oh, yes they are." Nothing was said. "But they are only cats." It sounded like the voice was scolding itself for even thinking something. "Send the two male ones away but let the female one come to me." Hearing very faint clanking of chains Erza assumed that Jaqueline had released Carla, hearing very convincing happy cat meow's, Erza assumed Carla was receiving pets from the voice. Hearing the chains come towards the doors once more Erza quickly backed away from the door and caught Juvia before she could walk back to the door, Black*Star bumped into the two of them but Erza had a better stance than that, so she was able to keep the three of them hidden. The three waited until the now four came around the corner.
"Back in time…" Erza whispered the words trailing off to see if the two guards were really the female miester and weapon.
"To watch the scar, happen." Kim and Jaqueline repeated at the same time while taking off the masquerade masks off, showing their faces.
"I have to admit that these Greek inspired uniforms are great." Kim did a quick twirl in the short Greek dress that doubled as armor, somehow. Erza found the style very cute, and would probably wear it home, but not out on a battle field.
"I very much agree there, Kim." Jaqueline started to smooth down imaginary wrinkles.
"You girls can admire yourselves later. We have to go." Juvia reminded as they once more heard the dreaded foot steps of guards. All seven took off on a run, ready to get back to Death City. Arriving at their transportation, driven by Spirit, they quickly sped away from the lair.
"Have information?" Spirit never looked away from the road as he questioned the teens.
"No. But we will." Erza took charge, like she usually did when someone began to question her.
Spirit didn't say anything but did tighten his grip on the steering wheel. He very much did not like this red head, so red it rivaled his own red hair. But it was brighter, and she carried herself like a general that's about to be heading off for war, she also basically had every man falling at her feet. Well her feet and her friend's feet. All three of them are knock outs. Literally.
He learned the hard way how powerful the three of them are.
Separately.
The teens, and flying-talking-cats, let the car ride fall into silence. It was only an hour drive to the airport which would then only be an hour flight and another thirty minutes to get back to the school, where the seven of them would debrief Kidd on what happened and how everything went according to the plan that they had made, almost a week ago.
Juvia leaned against the window, almost depressed. She had missed her Gray the entire time that she was on this mission. Tsubaki was lucky for having Black*Star here with her. Looking forward to seeing her Gray again and receiving a "good job" kiss from him, Juvia sat up a little, but kept her head against the window. The only girl she could talk to here was Kim, who was dating a guy named Oxford, but every called him Ox. The way they got together was a very long and difficult process, much like hers and Gray's.
The only reason Juvia even talked to her was because the pinkette reminded her a whole lot of her Gray. Juvia also talked to Erza, only because Gray had made it obvious that he had no intentions towards her. Or the rest of the woman at the guild.
Looking back at Tsubaki and Black*Star, thinking about how they were a little more forced to admit that they like each other. A child. That's not even theirs, they just took her in because they felt compassion towards the girl. Black*Star had his head in Tsubaki's lap lightly soring while Tsubaki played with his hair. Smiling once more Juvia went back to staring out the window. Watching the trees pass by, Juvia thought back to the maybe ten minutes that she had with Gray and discovered he had a younger sister. Knowing that he already considered Lyon like a brother, and Melody like a niece. Juvia knew that Gray would have started treating her like a sister in the week that she was gone.
Narrowing her eyes Juvia decided that she would try her best to know Maka as best as she could. To make Gray happy.
Speaking of the exceed, looking over at the blue blob. The poor thing was whimpering, probably because they had to leave Carla behind, by herself. Taking pity on the blue exceed she picked him up and gently placed him in her lap, gently petting his head in comfort as she turned her head back to the window.
Kim watched Juvia, since Kidd called her name. Wondering why she felt such a kinsman ship with her. Wondering what it was about this strange girl that allowed her to feel like they would understand each other. It wasn't until Juvia saved her from drowning in a river that they tried to cross the first night while they were trying to find the lair.
Juvia is different from her friend.
Kim is different from her friends.
From that moment forward Kim tried her hardest to bond with her in anyway, even if that way was through their relationships. And how they got together in similar ways. Throughout the mission Kim felt Jaqueline's jealousy about Kim making a friend with the strange people, but Kim knows exactly how to make it up to her. Unfortunately, that way could only be done when they were in Death City once more.
Erza has never minded silence, but she hates leaving a member behind, even if it's for the greater good. She could feel the same feeling waving off the other Fairy Tail members, even if Juvia was trying to distract herself by looking at the scenery and petting Happy. Lily sat in her lap. Petting him as well, Erza was sure that their pain was worse than either Juvia's or hers.
They not only lost a comrade, they lost one of their own.
It was an unspoken role for the three exceeds to go on the same missions together or with their dragon slayers. Always.
Now that they were coming home without one, one very much alive. Erza cannot even begin to imagine the backlash everyone would give her.
She was in charge and, and she failed.
Well she felt like she failed.
Carla is alive.
Literally in the hands of the enemy.
To get them information.
If Carla was caught sending them information…
Erza just now realized that this was crazy.
Sitting up to tell the other red head to turn around so she could storm through the lair and retrieve their comrade, she realized it was too late Spirit parked in a space at the airport. Sighing in defeat. Erza held Lily as he became depressed even more. Erza got out thinking she could grab her own things but Tsubaki, Black*Star, and Kim had already gotten all the backpacks that held their supplies that they used as they trekked through the woods to find the lair.
Slowly everyone made their way to the airport and through everything to finally be sitting in the airplane, waiting for it to take off.
One thought ran through Erza's mind as she sat down.
"How?"
"How would she be able to face Wendy?"