Secrets Can Kill, chapter… 26?
Previously:
"Golfer!" Sterling, a pudgy man with thick eyebrows, burst into the torture room where the limp body of the Ice Dragon Slayer was. Golfer raised his eyebrows and turned towards the sudden entrance of his guild mate.
"What is it, Sterling?" Golfer snapped. "I'm busy."
Sterling paled. "The girl's guild! Fairy Tail! They're here!"
Golfer cursed under his breath. "How'd they get here so quickly? It should have been at least half an hour on foot!"
"Golfer, they're already here!" Sterling protested, ignoring his question. "Leave the girl!"
An evil smile crossed Golfer's wicked face. "I'll take her with me."
Sterling could only watch in confusion as Golfer unshackled Nicole's chains and began dragging her limp form up stairs, to the highest tower.
***:::~~~…
"MOVE!" Gray hurtled past several Lightning Palace members and burst into the doors. He turned back to see Erza. "I'm going to find Nicole!"
The scarlet-haired beauty nodded. "Be quick!" She swung another sword and a screaming Lightning Palace member quickly fell. "We can handle things here!"
Nodding, Grat turned and tore his gaze forward, proceeding forward at an alarmingly fast pace. Turning a corner, however, a group of guild members, all bearing the Lightning Palace crest, stood in his way.
"Out of the way!"
Gray, creating his signature 'Ice Make: Floor!' continued on while his enemies kept slipping on his blanket of ice. "Nicole!"
A scream.
Gray paused and listened at a fork in the castle passageways. There were three passages- one leading straight forward, one leading right, and one leading left. Where did the scream come from? "Nicole! NICOLE!"
Another scream.
Gray took the left path.
Chapter 26: Return of Lightning Palace, Part 4
Normal POV
Terror coursing through Gray, the ice mage turned down corner after corner as he followed the screams. There weren't many rooms down here, besides cages, so it gave him easy view of what was in each cage. He had to nail one guard in the head but otherwise, that was all he saw.
"Nicole!"
The screams were getting louder and closer. Picking up his pace and putting his faith in adrenaline, Gray put an extra burst on the speed and ran down a long stretch of stone floor. The screams were coming from a room at the end.
Footsteps echoing on the cold ground, Gray grimaced, and grabbed the cage bar and swung himself into the cage. "Nicole?…"
Said Ice Dragon Slayer was in a horrible state. Her hair was matted, torn, and dirty, and hung in clumps around her face. She had a scar over one side of her face, and fresh blood was streaming out of the corner of her mouth as she screamed. Nicole's tank top was torn and the middle dyed crimson- her knife cut had indeed been opened up and was pouring new blood by the second. Her legs and arms were cut, bruised, and scraped, but to make it all worse, there were thick red lines wrapping themselves around her body, and they obviously weren't good for her.
Nicole was being dragged across the floor by a tall man with purple hair.
"You!" Gray hissed, pointing a finger.
"Yes, me," Golfer hissed back. "Now if you'd be kind enough to get out of my way, she won't get hurt." He brandished a knife and twirled it around his fingers.
Gray hesitated.
"Exactly," Golfer grinned. He pointed the knife at Nicole's neck.
Gray raised his hands above his head. Golfer hissed in pleasure.
"Good, good. Now come with me."
Hands shaking, Gray followed Golfer, watching for any opening where Golfer would move the knife anywhere else than Nicole's throat, but no such luck. Cursing himself five times over, Gray ascended some stairs behind the Lightning Palace member.
Golfer reached the top of the tower and pushed Gray into a wall. Grimacing as his head hit the back, Gray shook himself and glared at Golfer.
The purple-haired man stared down at the battle. Watching it, Gray could immediately tell Fairy Tail was winning. Erza was flying through the ranks like she was having a field day, Lucy had summoned Aquarius from a nearby stream and was washing a good number of troops away. Natsu was a tornado of fire, burning anyone who dared come near him. Happy was picking up random members and throwing them at each other. But Makarov was definitely memorable- he had turned into a giant and ripped off a far tower and was now swinging it like a baseball bat.
"BEHOLD!" Golfer's voice echoed through the battle, causing heads to turn his way, Fairy Tail and Lightning Palace alike. "Your Ice Dragon Slayer!" He pulled Nicole up by her hair and pulled her over the edge of the wall. One wrong move and he'd drop her. Into… into the stream. She'd never survive the fall.
Choruses of "No!" echoed throughout the member of Fairy Tail. Gray wanted to lunge, but was afraid Nicole would fall in the process. Then he got an idea…
Strategizing to himself, Gray inched his way forward until he was a few feet away from Golfer. The Lightning Palace member didn't notice as he was too busy gloating to shocked Fairy Tail menbers and gleeful guild mates.
Gray lunged.
Putting all his energy and all his strength into it, he lunged. His feet pushed off the ground as he propelled himself forward, arms outstretched, diving forward. But not at Golfer.
At Nicole.