Chapter 5-B: Rumble in the Dark Jungle
Kobe was clearing branches and leaves as the party followed the trail to find Criado. Visibility in the area seemed to be a slight hinderance. The foliage from above blocked out most of the light from above, and to make things even 'better', a light drizzle was coming down.
"This is so much work..." Lucy grumbled in annoyance.
"It'll all be worth it when we find Gortez, Lucy." Jack reassured. He joined Kobe in clearing the path. "Chin up, now." Lucy continued to grumble angrily. They soon came upon the outpost, but unfortunately, it was attacked, the wooden structures blackened and charred, smoke curling up in the air a few inches above the wreckage.
"The outpost! It's gone! Troggies must have put up a fight." Jack stared in horror.
"Do you think that Gortez is...?" Wendy frowned in worry.
Cordelia shook her head. "I doubt it, Wendy. Gortez sounds stronger than a tribe of Troggies." She motioned for Bonnie to follow her as the two began scanning the scene for any clues as to where Gortez could be, or at least Criado. The Fairy Tail members also looked around for clues. The group would stumble upon a rock with a message carved into it. Cordelia read it. 'Troggies destroyed outpost. We're fleeing to cave southeast of here. Send help. -C'
"Could C mean Criado?" Barnabus wondered.
"Either that or someone who was with him." Cordelia mused. "Let's get moving." The Fairy Tail group headed to the cave, following Cordelia's lead. On the way there, Wendy would get a feeling that someone was suffering...she didn't know who, but she knew someone was suffering. Not someone from her group, though. Wendy blinked, looking around. Her search would bring her to a monkey fellow in a green suit, suffering from what seemed to be poisoning. He looked at Wendy with big eyes.
"You're no troggy...who are you?" He asked.
"I'm Wendy Marvell. Are you okay?" Wendy frowned, kneeling by him.
"While wandering the forest I came across a cute and cuddly troggy." He explained. "He was so adorable I couldn't help skipping over and giving him a big hug! But his response was decidedly unfriendly. As I squeezed him tight, I started feeling woozy and nauseous. Miss Marvell, I'm certain he poisoned me."
"Don't hug strange animals..." Wendy sighed. She placed her hand on his chest and it began to glow. He was quickly healed.
"A thousand blessings, Wendy Marvell! You are a blessing in disguise!" The monkey thanked.
Wendy smiled at him. "I'm just glad I could help."
"Hey Wendy, everything okay over here?" Steve called out, coming over.
"I found someone!" Wendy called.
Steve knelt down to the monkey's height. "We're looking for a monkey named Criado. Have you seen him?"
"Why, come to think of it, I have." He responded. "I heard the sounds of a scuffle, then I heard bootsteps followed by the war cries of Troggies. The cave at the end of this path. That's where he should be."
"That's a big help right there." He got back up and looked at Wendy. "Now let's hope Criado can tell us about Gortez."
"Good job, Wendy!" Natsu grinned.
"But I didn't do much..." Wendy smiled.
"Hey guys!" Jack called. "I found this cave the rock mentioned!"
"I'll see to it this guy gets back to the gold mine alright." Steve informed. "I'll be back." He then led the monkey back to the mine. Everyone waited for Steve's return. He'd be back in a few minutes, heading right for the cave. Inside were a group of Monquistadors, seemingly worse for wear and shaken with fear. "At least they're alive." Lucy frowned. One of them looked over upon hearing Lucy.
"You have found us! We're saved!" He exclaimed in elation.
"Uh... Yeah." Lucy smiled, sweat dropping. "You're saved."
"Yeah. Fairy Tail's here. You're bacon is safe with us." Cordelia reassured.
"Thank goodness we found them." Wendy sighed in relief.
"We've come looking for Gortez, and if possible, the Gold Monkey." Steve informed.
"Gortez? Gortez is east of here." The Monquistador responded. "But the way is blocked. Swarms of bees let no one pass." He changed topic about the Gold Monkey now. "And the Gold Monkey is a wonder - a great tapestry of metal thread, hung with thousands of gold plates and countless emeralds! It is with Gortez."
'Sounds like we got conflicting stories here.' Cordelia thought to herself, recalling the foreman's account of the Gold Monkey.
"We are trapped here - between the bees and the troggies. Criado said he knew a way to pass the bees, but he is gone - the frog devils took him." The Monquistador added. "Criado may yet live. If you hurry to the troggy village, you might save him. And if you scatter the troggies, that will be a boon to us."
"Time to roast some frogs!" Natsu cracked his knuckles, smirking.
"Let's go, hot head." Bonnie chuckled, taking point for the group. The group followed after her. The troggies looked like a palette swap of those from Skull Mountain: White skin and blue speckles. But they had the same equipment.
"Don't touch them!" Wendy warned. "They can poison you!"
"Fire dragon's roar!"
"Long range is fine..." Gray froze some of the frogs.
Mira lashed out with darkness magic.
"They got defeated quickly..." Lucy sweatdropped. Lucy's words would be true, as Cordelia fueled the fire with her boomstick.
"Too easy." Natsu yawned.
"Look over here, guys." Bonnie pointed out a few sets of footprints. "Troggy footprints headed into this cave, and a set of little boot prints among 'em!"
"Guess we've found our hostage. Let's get 'im out." Cordelia loaded a buckshot into her boomstick, this one having a few Z's painted onto it. Erza requipped into Morning Star Armor.
"Let's go."
"Y'all wait here for us." Cordelia stated.
"Wait up..." Steve interjected. "What'd you just load into your shotgun, Cordelia?"
"Oh, that? It's a buckshot that fires pellets of sleeping gas. Good for crowd control." The sheriff explained.
"...Wendy, I think you might wanna go in with them." The young captain responded. "Last I remember, your magic can make the air clean around you and allies, so stuff like sleeping gas won't affect them, right?"
"Right!" Wendy nodded. "I can protect everyone."
"Good to hear." Steve liked the sound of that. "The rest of my men and I will guard this point if any more Troggies come. Good luck, ladies. Stay safe." With that, he had his axe ready, Cordelia leading Erza and Wendy inside.
-FT/P101-
Thanks to the Morning Star Armor, they could clearly see where they were going. Wendy and Carla followed behind the other two. Now the foursome would hear a shout for help, Cordelia racing ahead to see what was happening. They'd find a Monquistador, likely Criado, tied upside down by his hands and legs, four bonfires burning around him.
"Help!" He shouted. "Save me before I'm roasted alive!" Cordelia took the initiative and pointed her boomstick at the Troggies there, one of which had a skull helmet and wand.
"Weapons on the ground, now!" She ordered. The troggies didn't listen and started attacking her. Bad idea.
"Flame Empress Armor." Erza sent fire at them. Carla flew over the battle, trying to get to Criado.
"Someone put out those fires!" Cordelia shouted, shooting her buckshot at the troggies. The sleeping gas, along with Erza's attacks, would do a number to their foes, but for some weird reason, they kept coming. Carla would spy a bucket nearby, and seeing how water was ankle deep on the floor...it would become very clear what the exceed would have to do.
"Got it!" Carla dumped water on the fire. Erza kept shooting fire at the troggies, and then Wendy joined in the fray.
"Sky Dragon's Roar!" Carla putting out the fire, along with the other three's attacks, would save Criado. And leave a lot of Troggies writhing in pain or fast asleep.
"You have saved me from a fate worse than death, strangers. I thank you." Criado thanked. "But who might you be? And why are you here?"
"We're mages of Fairy Tail, here for Gortez." Erza proclaimed.
"You seek Gortez? The swarms of bees are the only thing standing in your path to Gortez. I have found the poison that coats the skin of troggies mixed with crimson lotus flowers here in the jungle repels them." Criado explained. "I already have some...I will lead the way for you as thanks for saving my life, Fairy Tail."
"Thank you." Erza smiled. Once they were out of the cave, Cordelia filled the others in on what was going to happen. Criado led them east, an opening in the rock wall was visible...past the swarm of buzzing bees. Criado took the paste he had and smeared it on his armor, the bees flying away from him. The group would have passage!
"Awesome!" Natsu grinned.
"May fortune smile upon you, Fairy Tail. I wish you luck on your mission." Criado saluted.
"Let's go!" Natsu completely ignored him in favor of going onward.
As the group proceeded, they'd come across a ruin, and a green frog fellow would stand and greet them. "Don't be afraid, man! I'm on your side!" He greeted. "My name's Hopper."
"Stephen. I go by Steve. This is my uh..." He looked at Cordelia, who gave him a glance.
"It's his wife." Mira cut in cheerfully.
Steve jolted from hearing Mira cut in. "Cordelia's not my wife!" He denied, blushing profusely from embarrassment.
"Nothing to be ashamed of, man." Hopper reassured. "I'm sure she's a cool lady."
"We're here for Gortez." Cordelia frowned.
"Gortez? He enlarged my mind, man! He'd said you'd come to take him away. I hope that isn't true." Hopper answered. "I mean, look around you, man! He's fighting a war. Not against my people - he dealt with my people. No...the Hollow Men are here, and here in strength."
"Hollow Men?" Barnabus wondered.
"We just want the monkey, right?" Natsu asked Steve.
"Y-Yeah." Steve answered.
"The Hollow Men; gears and wires, masks that walk like men. They're looking for something, man." Hopper informed. "I don't know what, but they're pillaging this place. Gortez, he's waiting for you fairies at the temple. Go to the gate, they'll let you in. The Gold Monkey, I can't describe it. You'll have to see it for yourself."
"There is something else you must see." Kobe added grimly. "Something I did not wish to see. The Hollow Men that Hopper speaks of...are the Armada!"
"Wasn't that pretty obvious? Who else is gears and wires?" Carla snorted. But to Carla's surprise, Cordelia grit her teeth at the mention.
"Those bastards...I'll never forgive them for what they did to me!" She hissed.
"Eh?" Everyone looked at her.
"The Armada? Did something to you?" Peter sounded shocked. "You'd be the LAST person I'd expect to have a vendetta against them!"
"Oh, but I do. They not only made a fool out of me, but they locked me up on false charges." Cordelia huffed. "Never have I felt so humiliated by that Deacon..."
"Messing with a woman... I'll show them what a real man's like!" Elfman growled.
"You know they're robots, right?" Carla deadpanned.
"Lightning is good against robots, right? It makes me wish Laxus was here." Mira giggled.
"Burning can easily do as much!" Natsu grinned evilly, cracking his knuckles.
"Speaking of Laxus, I wonder what he's up to right about now..." Steve wondered aloud.
"How did Deacon humiliate you?" Kobe asked the sheriff.
"It all started with an anonymous tip about Banditoads smuggling in some high power weaponry. I was ready to go as usual, and I went ahead to where it was at. What I didn't expect, and what happened, was I saw a small little detachment of those rust-buckets, even a few of them were heavily armored and had cannons for guns." Cordelia began. "They then shackled me up and said I was the weapons smuggler. For two weeks after that I was held in an Armada prison, questioned about things I didn't even know, and I wondered why the heck they would believe I knew. Eventually, I got sick of it, so I managed to get the lock open on my cell door, found my confiscated shotgun, and blasted my way to freedom. I got to Flotsam, and had been in the Frogfather's protection ever since."
"Heavily armored...cannons for guns...those were the same clockworks Erza destroyed back on the prison ship Steve and I were on..." Yojimbo remembered.
"Indeed, they're thoroughly destroyed." Erza nodded.
"Those clockworks are awful." Lisanna frowned.
"Tread carefully, man." Hopper warned. "Seems you got a history with the Hollow Men, and if they spot you they'll attack without hesitation."
"Robots ain't got nothing on me! I'm all fired up!" Natsu grinned.
"Make that two of us!" Cordelia agreed with Natsu. They were in luck. There were Armada patrols among the ruins these two could pick a fight with, consisting mainly of Marines and Musketeers. Natsu instantly charged off.
"Sheesh..." Lucy sweatdropped. Cordelia chased after Natsu.
"On the plus side Lucy, with them fighting the Armada, it should provide us a distraction to get to the gate Hopper mentioned." Steve pointed out. "Wanna take advantage of that?"
"I better make sure he doesn't get killed... You guys go on ahead." Lucy sighed before following Natsu. "C'mon, Happy!"
"Like I'd miss out! Aye!" Happy cheered, flying after her.
'Stay safe, you four.' Steve thought, leading the group in a different direction from the battlements. The rest of the Fairies went with Steve.
The rest of the group would arrive at the gate Hopper mentioned, two monkeys standing there along with a water mole, donning a mask and having white and green feathers on his head. They all looked a little...crazy.
"What? What do you want?" The monkey on the left asked as they approached, pointing a sharp stick at them. If it were a real weapon, it would be an actual threat. But to the fairies, it was kinda cute. In some odd way.
"How cute." Erza smiled.
"We're here for the Gold Monkey." Steve smiled as well.
"Gold Monkey? No thanks, we've already got one." The monkey's eye twitched a little, as he chuckled and looked at his other monkey friend. "I told 'em we already got one!" The second monkey laughed.
"I don't get it." Kobe stoically looked at both of them, thinking they had an entire batch of cookies missing from the jar.
"We're here to GET it." Gray corrected.
"And Gortez, if possible." Steve added. The monkeys stopped laughing.
"Oh, you seek Gortez?" The left one responded. "No. You are not ready."
"Gortez is a warrior, a warrior poet in the classic sense. All his children are warriors. What are you people?" The right one asked the group. Yellow light flashed around Erza's body as she requipped into a knight outfit. She stepped forward, looking quite awesome.
"We are warriors." The monkeys took a look at Erza, not sure what happened. But it was also then the water mole spoke up.
"You wish to see Gortez? Help him - prove his cause is yours." He told Erza. "Smash those soulless clockworks, destroy their captain, and you can pass." It would become very evident the three were in some sort of stupor from Erza's awesomeness. Even Steve was fangasming over her. Erza nodded to the group, turning to head to the Armada.
"Their captain is inside the Pyramid, meddling with things that should be left alone." The left monkey told Erza before she left. "Use their elevator machine to enter the tunnels. Go!" Erza nodded.
"Let's crush them."
"Ready when you are, Erza!" Steve cheerily exclaimed, stars STILL in his eyes. Erza led the way. Into the tunnels they went. Only thing to do now before officially going in was taking care of that sentry, a Marine overseeing the whole excavation...or whatever it was they were going and doing. Gray quickly sniped him with an ice bow, the Marine falling to the ground with a metallic thud.
"All clear!" The ice Mage grinned.
"Let's go!" Steve rushed into the tunnels, axe ready to swing. Fairy Tail charged in with him. What Fairy Tail would find was that Steve had a MASSIVE boost of confidence as he took on whatever Armada grunts his eyes spotted. Maybe it was because of Erza and he wants to impress her. Maybe it's because he is feeling this new found power of being a member of this guild. Or perhaps he's tired of being a wimp.
Take your pick. The Fairies grinned and followed him full throttle. After a few minutes of smashing clockworks, they came upon the captain.
"Intruders!" It shouted in a metallic voice. "You will identify yourselves and surrender! Comply or be terminated!" Steve lashed out with Sickle Shot.
"We will never surrender to you!" He yelled. "As long as I got Erza around, I'll never surrender to the Armada!"
"Requip!" Erza changed to Flame Empress Armor and launched flames at him. Both Scarlet and Templeton would bring down the captain and its mooks.
"You have not complied." It said, with a distorting voice. "You have not won. We do...not...tire..." And it was now broken.
"Well, they break down if ya hit 'em hard enough." Steve rolled his eyes. "Let's get back to the monkeys." The group followed him back. When they returned, the first monkey said,
"You are worthy. But you are not ready." It was then the four that went to fight the Armada returned. Cordelia was a bit sweaty from all the fighting. Natsu was looking quite cheerful while Lucy stumbled after them, bone tired.
"Too much..." Cordelia had to hold onto Steve for support. She was that tuckered out.
"I think we destroyed most of that lot..." She commented.
"Prepare yourselves, hairless ones, for you are about to behold the glory of the Gold Monkey! I, Aguirre, will meet you inside." The monkey opened the gate, his two companions following him in.
"...that worked." Gray sweatdropped.
"Let's follow." It sounded more like an order than a suggestion coming from Erza. But to Steve, it was what he was going to do. Same with his crew.
(Final part of this chapter coming soon! Stay tuned, people!)