"I'm going and that's final," hissed Biana through her clenched teeth. Fitz sighed for the tenth time that day.
"Biana, you just got disowned don't you think that you should take a break, at least sit out on this mission."
"That's not happening, I have about a week's worth of pent-up rage and I'm ready to use it to my advantage."
"It hasn't even been a week yet," exclaimed Dex from where he was sitting on the couch at Havenfield. Biana had been staying there since Fitz shuddered. Nope, he thought to himself not going to go down that rabbit hole today.
They had better things to think about than his petty family drama. Alvar was still at Everglen, where him and that girl Sony were trying to figure out what they were going to do. Fitz had been back only once since then and they seemed fine. His mom doting on them and offering them baked goods when they seemed in a slump.
Della had almost instantly recognized Sony as one of Alvar's friends from Foxfire and they had taken it upon themselves to try to restore Alvar's memories. It didn't seem to be working.
"Hey, snap out of it weirdo," said Biana whilst lightly poking his arm to get his attention. "I just got a message from the Black Swan that the plan is almost a go and we're to meet them at the caves in one hour."
An hour later they were all sitting in the caves on the ground waiting for the Black Swan to show up. Sophie and her parents were huddled together on one side (they had refused to stay at home) discussing things in hushed whispers. Biana and Dex were in the other corner and Keefe was sitting in the middle staring off into space. Just as Fitz had made the decision to go over and talk to him, three dwarves popped out of the ground and motioned for them to follow. Sophie led the group (a terrible decision really she kept tripping over her two feet and he had to catch her) with Grady and Edaline bringing up the rear.
"Maybe I should just carry you to wherever the Black Swan is taking us," Fitz joked after she fell for the third time.
"Maybe that's a good idea." And with that Fitz scooped her up and threw her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. Sophie squeaked and it drew the attention of the group.
"Like five minutes in and Fitz already has to carry Foster," mocked Keefe. Sophie stuck her tongue out at him, a gesture that he retaliated with.
"We're almost there." growled one of the dwarves. "So I suggest that you hold your tongues."
After being in a tunnel for so long the sudden light almost blinded Fitz. He heard hisses and some groans that suggested that the others felt the same way. Well except for Sophie who was facing the other way.
"Welcome to the Black Swan base of operations, seaward branch," said a familiar voice.
"Mom?" asked Dex. She gave him a pointed look. "Sorry, Squall? What are you doing here?"
"Did you really expect the Black Swan to let you go off on your own for this mission?"
"Kinda," admitted Biana,"You really seem to love to do that."
"Well this mission has an importance that would otherwise require some Collective support."
"Can I ask a stupid question?" asked Fitz. "Why are you in disguise, everyone here knows your identity."
"Sweet mother of all things frozen,"
"That would be why," replied Juline, "As much as the Black Swan is trusting Ms. Concer with this mission, she is still a Neverseen agent as well as you brother Fitz."
Sony and Alvar had come out of the tunnel and Sony was openly gawking Juline.
"That is the most amazing thing that you could do with ice, and that's coming from me."
"Getting right to business," said Juline, ignoring her fan, "Follow me." She took them to a tent with a table that had a large map sprawled across it. There were three dots on the map. One for where Fitz assumed they were, another for where the Neverseen prison was and another that might have been an escape route.
"This is where the prison is," said Squall, pointing a finger at the black dot with the eye. "We will have about fifteen minutes to get in, get your friend and get out."
"Actually I thinks there's going to be a change in plans," said Livvy from the entryway of the tent. "Blur just got back from doing some recon and it seems like there's four top security prisoners, so unless you can tell us exactly which cell your friend is we have to save all of them."
"So we split up," suggested Sophie. "That's the easiest plan, right"
"Right," replied Livvy, "except for the fact that all teams need Dex for opening the locks."
"Not exactly," said Dex his lips pursed in concentration. "At first I thought that all we would need to for was pick the locks, but then I realized that they will already know that we're there and taking the prisoners.."
"So we can just blast the door down instead!" exclaimed Biana kissing his face., "Dex you're brilliant."
Dex blushed crimson. "Actually I thought we could melt through the doors with some kind of acid."
"Then it's decided, we'll split up and each take a cell in teams."
"I'll go with Dex," suggested Fitz, "Dex, who kissed my sister" Dex had the common sense to shrink back into his chair a bit. Biana glared at her brother.
"Would you stop tormenting my boyfriend."
"But it is my only joy in life." Sophie scoffed at that. "Besides you of course darling." Sophie blushed at that.
"If we're done with the flirting, can we get back to the plan please."
The western entrance to the Neverseen Prison was well guarded. It took Dex and Fitz almost two minutes to lure them into the woods and sneak into the prison. Everyone else had taken a different entrance and will take a different exit out. Sophie and Juline had gone through the northern entrance, Biana, Sony and Keefe had taken the eastern and Grady and Edaline had taken the southern.
They made their way through the winding tunnels that made up the twisting prison. It was almost as twisting and confusing as Exile. But he wasn't going to think about that right now. Fitz rubbed the spot on his chest where the small reminder of the day sat.
"You okay Wonderboy?" asked Dex in a hushed whisper.
"Yeah I'm fine," replied Fitz, "Just thinking about how this place kinda reminds me of Exile."
Dex's only response to that was "Oh." He opened his mouth to say more but then the door came into sight. It was the only door that they had seen. Made of a dark heavy looking metal. The only indication that it was a door at all was the lock on the wall next to the door and the slats carved into the top.
"Do you want to do the honors?" asked Fitz.
"It would be my pleasure Wonderboy." He took a small vial of the acid that he and Livvy had come up with before they left. He made sure not to get any on himself when he carefully poured the acid on the door. Instantly it started sizzling and making a hole in the metal. When it was big enough to see through they peered into the cell. And were hit in the face with a shoe.
"Who the f*k are you." whisper-yelled the girl inside the cell.
Inside the cell was dark and Fitz and Dex could barely see anything. The only light came from the whole and Fitz and Dex were covering that up.
"Who the f*k are we? Who the f*k are you?" said Dex.
"I asked you first."
"That's not how this works, we're here to rescue you."
"Can we stop with the arguing," interrupted Fitz before they could tear into each other more. "My name's Fitz Vacker and this Dex Diznee and we're here to rescue you."
"Fitz…" she said his name like it rang a bell, but not enough. She raised her hand and Fitz and Dex flinched. "Relax, I'm just turning the lights on." she snapped her finger and a small ball of light came to life in the palm of her hand, illuminating her features.
She looked older than Fitz. With dark red hair that came to rest just above her waistline. Her skin was pale, he could see the veins beneath her skin and that made him think that she hadn't seen the sun for a while. Her sky blue eyes darted between him and Dex but that wasn't what caught his eye. She was wearing a bramble jersey over her raggedy pants. In the dark it looked like an ordinary jersey but in the light he could easily read the name on it. Vacker #3. That was Alvar's jersey when they played together. Did she steal Alvar's jersey?
Fitz was ready to tell Dex about what he had discovered, but Dex's attention wasn't on the girl's shirt. It was on her forehead. Where a band of metal sat.
The ability restricting circlet wasn't exactly like the one that Dex had made all those years ago, but the concept was still there. Enough to know that they had copied Dex's plans.
"Do you know how to get it off?" asked Fitz.
"I can try," replied Dex, "But I can't guarantee anything, this design is different than the one I made." He raised his hands to the girl's forehead and she coiled back into her cell. "Oh right sorry," he apologized before trying again. "Can I try to get the ability restrictor off of you?" The girl nodded her head and Fitz realized that they still didn't know her name.
"What's your name," he asked as softly as he could.
"You can stop treating me like a child you know," she said "I' older than you, by a lot, I'm twenty…" she trailed off, as if realizing that she didn't know how long it had been since she was put in here. "That doesn't matter right now, I'm Graysa."
"No last name?"
"If I told you my last name then it would mean more trouble than it's really worth."
"I'm a Vacker. I think I know about important last names."
"Mine's important in a different way."
"Annnd done," exclaimed Dex as the circlet fell off. Graysa let out a sigh of relief.
"Thank you," she said, "Now that that's done can we go now? Since this is a rescue."
"Yes ma'am," said Dex saluting her.
The guards were back in place when they came back to the door. Just four here. Not as much as at the others. Fitz raised his hand to signal Dex to move when Graysa snapped her fingers again.
"Ahhh my eyes" exclaimed one of the guards. The other one soon followed with their own exclamations of pain. Graysa pulled Fitz and Dex through the door and out into the woods. They were almost at the edge of the woods when the first guard reclaimed his sight and saw them.
"Hey! Stop them they've got Pyren and they're escaping."
Graysa threw a rude gesture over her shoulder and took off into the woods. Dex and Fitz close behind her. They stopped when the footsteps of the guards faded away.
"Pyren huh?" asked Fitz.
"I told you my last name wasn't great."
"Are you Fintan's great times a million grand- cousin or something."
"Try daughter."
"Ouch."
"I know right, and you thought being Alden Vacker son was bad." She paused and looked at their surroundings. "We should make camp here tonight, to make sure the guards don't follow us."
"Fine by me," said Dex. "I'm exhausted." He flopped down onto a particularly mossy patch of dirt and closed his eyes.
(A:/N) Allison: Sorry for that too long of wait, I say an excuse it I had one.
Any whoosies has anyone read Flashback yet? If you have then know this, this fanfiction does not follow anything after nightfall for obvious reasons.
Carin: Hi *waves*