The Promised Neverland AU
By: FunahoMisaki
(A/N: I own nothing and read last chapter)
"Emma was right again, Don and I were recruited by Norman who said that Connie and our other siblings were being sold off by Mom." Gilda said as the group of seven met up again the night that Don and Gilda were recruited by Norman into the escape plan.
"He didn't mention the demons, the trackers, none of the important stuff that Emma had told us about." Don said and he was kind of pissed at that. Did Norman think that they were so weak that they couldn't know in order to protect themselves?
"I was impressed with how you two managed to keep your composure. Good job." Emma said entering the library as well and she was the last to show, making Don and Gilda nod at her silently.
"Don't worry Don. You can deck him and Ray both soon. Gilda, I also know that Sister Krone approached you about the secrets we were hiding and that you're probably going to talk with her in a little while. Just so you know…you all can ask me any question you want. If I don't want to answer you then I'll tell you why I don't want to answer you. I will do my best to not keep information from you however." Emma said as she sat in what had come to be designated as her spot, at the head of the table staring at them.
"Um…Emma…the whole group thing and those formations and signs we used in tag today…" Anna trailed off as she stared at Emma who shot her a smile.
"Yeah we're planning on that being one of the ways we'll be able to escape from demons and all once in the outside world. I want you six to work on memorizing the signs and what they mean as well as the formations just in case. We won't be leaving here until January however so take your time." Emma said giving them a warm smile and they all nodded, Nat and Anna already working on recalling what the signs used had been and what they meant. Don and Gilda had already memorized them though, figuring that they'd be important.
"Actually Emma there was something I found that I thought you might want to look at." Gilda said setting a book on the table and Emma glanced at it. The Art of War by Sun Tzu.
"I figure that if we're going to be trying to survive and fighting then…well it could help?" Gilda asked more than said nervously as Emma looked at the book for a moment.
"Thanks Gilda. I'll be sure to read it later. If you think it'll help then I'll trust you." Emma said with a smile towards the glasses wearing girl.
"I've gotten Mom's permission to start a small flower and herb garden, apparently she doesn't mind us trying to be more responsible and thinks it'll be good for me and some of the younger ones. She'll be giving me some clippings and saplings to start it up as soon as she gets them. I've also been reading every book on wild known flora and fauna that I've been able to get my hands on." Nat reported making Emma nod at him. He was doing good.
"You know Mom agreed to show me first aid, just the basics at least, and we're starting tomorrow. I've also got a few medical books that detail different things I've been eyeing and was about to start reading." Anna reported next making Emma nod her head a bit.
"You might also want to look into different medicines and chemicals and all, or at least have Gilda help you with it. You never know if we'll need to make our own medicine." Emma said and Anna nodded her head immediately, yeah she had been worried about getting their hands on some medicine when they left the house.
"I've been memorizing what Norman and Ray have been having us do in the Tag Training as well as starting to do laps and pushups in the woods where Mom can't see. Lani and Thoma have been a big help gathering rocks and making targets for me to throw them at, I can hit the target at least 7 times out of ten now." Don reported making Emma nod her head slowly.
"That's good. Your aim is getting better. Keep focusing on that for now but once you hit the target at least nine times out of ten while standing still, starting trying to run around while throwing the rocks. Work on your aim while on the move, our targets won't always be stationary and neither will we." Emma said and Don nodded his head once in agreement. He'd definitely add that to his training as soon as possible.
"We've already helped Nat set up the small area Mom's letting us use for the garden." Thoma said starting the two off.
"We've also managed to start sneaking some supplies since Mom and Sister Krone are more focused on the older kids, we're hiding the stuff by the old well." Lani took over.
"And we're ready to start being Anna's test patients whenever she's ready!" The two said in unison at the end as they once more clambered into Emma's lap, making her smile and run her fingers through their hair.
"Good job boys." Emma praised them with a small kiss on each of their heads, making them blush a bit but grin pleased.
"I've been working on being sneaky whenever I want now and I can sneak up on most of the other kids at least a solid four out of five times, I've only been able to sneak up on Mom once though and Sister Krone only twice. That book is one of the older ones I've found around here that are different from the rest, almost as if someone had slipped them in with a large order and no one noticed. I've been learning some military tactics and I think I can incorporate them into training a bit to make us all more efficient." Gilda said and Emma looked pleased by her foresight.
"That was good thinking Gilda. Please if you have any ideas to help out don't hesitate to offer them up or say anything. That goes for everyone else too." Emma said and the other five nodded their heads while Gilda blushed a little, pleased with the praise.
"But Emma I've got a question. It's about those trackers in our ears you mentioned." Nat said and the others blinked as they remembered that as well. Honestly it had kind of been overshadowed by everything else. Gilda's eyes widened a bit.
"That's what that mark behind Carol's ear was! It wasn't so they could draw blood to test for diseases like Mom told us, it was where they put in the tracker." Gilda said in realization and Emma nodded to her.
"Yeah. That's also what I meant when I mentioned being surprised how small it was. Not the scar but the tracker. I just couldn't tell you right then because I wasn't sure if Mama was close enough to overhear us." Emma said and Gilda nodded once distractedly in understanding.
"For the last six years, ever since Mama found out about him being her son, Ray's been working on discreetly gathering materials to build something that will disable the tracker in our ears. We can't outright destroy them because then it'd send an alert and we'll be immediately shipped. Also if you haven't noticed, almost every time Mama cups our faces or brushes back our hair her hand brushes over the left ear. That's her not just checking our pulse to see if we're lying to her if she's talking to us but also that's her subtle way to make sure that the tracker is still in place and hasn't been discovered or tampered with." Emma said and the others blinked.
"So Ray's your big brother? Huh…he does kind of look similar to Mom now that I think about it." Don said and Emma winced a bit but nodded.
"Yeah. He's got more of Mama's looks than I did. He didn't have infantile amnesia either, which means that both he and I remember as far back as to when Mama was still pregnant with us. That's how we remember the tune she loved to sing or hum to us when we were inside of her…that's how she knew Ray was her son since she overheard him humming that tune." Emma said and her gaze was a bit distant now.
"Hey Emma? How come you don't tell Ray about this?" Thoma asked bringing her back to the present and Emma gave a heavy sigh.
"For almost the exact same reason I don't tell Norman. In Norman's case…he'd do anything for me. Anything to make me happy or see me smile. That first night when he learned the truth about this farm…when we saw Connie…he talked about running away. Just me, him, and Ray." Emma said and the others looked shocked. Norman had just wanted to leave them behind?! To leave them to die?!
"I refused. I told him that I didn't want to lose anyone else. I didn't want to lose anymore family. That's what made him agree that we'll take everyone. He even openly told Ray that he was planning on how to get everyone out just to make me smile." Emma said and Don clenched his fists. Oh he was definitely going to deck Norman hard when he finally got the go ahead from Emma…or lost his temper. Whichever one happened first.
"That's why I'm not bringing him in on this. Because he focuses too much on me as is. Besides that…he's going to be sent to the experimental facility Lamba before we escape, although Mama won't tell us that of course. He won't be killed or anything, which is why I'm largely not worried about it. Because he escapes from there with some others who are strong allies in the future and we end up working together. Not just that…but…in the future…when we were fighting the demons and thinking about how to get everyone to the human world…he openly said that he'd do anything to make my wish and dream come true. Even if it meant becoming a god or a monster." Emma said and the others were wide eyed at that.
"He doesn't show it but Norman is far too heavily invested in me and my happiness. That's why I'm not telling him anything…for big brother…" Emma trailed off and took in a deep breath.
"He's been planning for the last six years on how to make sure that Norman and I escape. Just us two…he never plans to escape here." Emma said and the others drew in ragged breaths. What?!
"He plans to die here, but not while being food. He plans to set himself on fire to distract Mama while the rest of us escape. He views…he saw his existence as being cursed ever since we were babies. He doesn't want to live it anymore…but I refuse to let that happen! He once told me that it's because of Norman and I that he was happy to be alive! That he could feel happiness and light…" Emma's eyes had snapped open, when had she closed them she wondered?, and her gaze was steely determination.
"He doesn't plan to escape here alive. I don't plan to let him die. I'm not bringing him in on this because right now he's spying on Mama for us, pretending to be her good little sheep dog…and he's still thinking of when to start the fire and set himself alight. He would never focus on his own survival or anyone else's at the moment. He'd only focus on Norman and my own." Emma said and her voice was ice cold now.
"I refuse to let that happen. I'm not letting him die or throw away anyone's lives for mine." Emma said coldly and the others shivered a bit.
"We should stop here for tonight. Gilda still has to meet with Sister Krone. If you have any questions you can ask me in the morning." Emma said standing up and obviously needing to calm down a bit.
"So that's…that's one of the reasons why…" Nat was trembling as he stared after Emma's back.
"Ray killed himself, and maybe even some of us, for Emma to escape and Norman tried to sacrifice his humanity for Emma. That's why she came back…that's…that's why she isn't telling them." Nat said and the others shuddered as they realized how Emma must have felt. Her brother burning himself and maybe a few of the other kids alive to let her escape and her best friend throwing away his humanity and presumably becoming a monster just to make her wish come true.
No wonder Emma came back in time to prevent that kind of future.
"We have to step up our training. Right now she's carrying a large burden, one as heavy as the world itself, on her shoulders…" Gilda said her voice soft as she stared at the doorway where Emma had gone.
"We need to be stronger so we can help her carry that burden." Don grimaced although his face was determined. She came back to save lives, how many he didn't know for sure. She came back in time to save probably everyone's lives if the names she called in her nightmares meant anything.
The least he could do was make sure he was just as ready to save lives as she was, no matter the cost to himself.
"Yeah. We won't let Mama Emma suffer anymore. Not on her own!" Thoma and Lani chorused and Anna and Nat nodded firmly in agreement, determination filling all six of them.
They'd have to be stronger and better at their tasks. They'll have to do anything they could to prepare themselves not just for the outside world but also for Ray's attempt to be a distraction and Norman's attempts at becoming a monster.
They won't fail, not like they must have had the first time.
They won't fail each other and Emma again.
They refused to fail.