AN: So, I was going to change the chapter so that it wasn't the same as canon where they all get caught and sent to Hell Palace, and instead have Percy sneak through the Castle to confront the Princess and learn that the kingdom was being fed false info about Eclipse. Truthfully, part of it is laziness since I already have this written, and part of it is that I want to have a strength showing for Percy against the entire executioner squad while the others meet with Future Lucy.
Had Percy snuck around, he would have been able to prevent Future Lucy's death and I want that to be a driving point for the guild in the finale of this arc. So to the reader that pointed out that he was (for lack of a better word) useless in getting captured, there was a motive behind it. Apologies for the confusion with this chapter. I'll try to write another chapter tomorrow and Sunday (going out to town, but the plane ride is good downtime to write) as well as SoS, BotS and Han Kami ga Kiru. Sorry again! Also I just use "LINEBREAK" to dignify a scene shift. Sorry if it's annoying lol.
Chapter 14
The final event of the Grand Magic Games was essentially a team battle set up in a mock city with the layout of Crocus. The 5-person teams started in separate places and points were outlined in the manner of 4 of the members being worth a single point that was added to the guilds current total and the final member worth five. The last guild standing would win, but if they had accumulated enough points to surpass the leading guild then they took it all.
In summary: Percy was slightly bummed that he didn't get to partake in the battle royale.
Alas, Lucy's freedom was far more important, so he left the Games to Erza and Laxus' capable hands. A part of him was also just bummed that he would miss the inevitable showdown between either Laxus and Jura, or Erza and Jura.
Regardless, his team of Natsu, Wendy, Mira, and the Exceeds had a mission to take care of. Happy tried to put them all in disguises and succeeded with the other three, but Percy was too busy cooing over how adorable Wendy looked in a Mascot-kun costume. He may or may not have glomped the poor girl and hugged her far too tightly for both her and Charla's liking.
The Games team was discussing amongst themselves the implications of the disguised rescue mission, but Gray was the first to voice, "With Percy there, I wouldn't worry too much about it. I doubt they could throw anything at him that he isn't prepared for." Everyone else hummed in agreement, except for Erza, who had her brow creased with slight worry.
"Yes, but they know of his origins now. I would be surprised if they didn't take any countermeasures."
On that positive note, the event began and Sabertooth immediately split up, still clearly thinking that they were the top dogs there without the Fairy's God-Slayer competing. Other guilds decided to form smaller teams to try and stay alive longer, but not Fairy Tail.
No, they stayed completely rooted in their places, shoulder to shoulder, with their eyes closed.
And nobody but Mavis knew exactly why that was.
Lamia Scale struck the first points by eliminating a member of Quatro Puppy that nobody really cared about, and Mermaid Heel and Blue Pegasus were duking it out at the same time in a separate location.
Unfortunately, the two members of Mermaid Heel didn't stand a chance against the Trio from Blue Pegasus and they racked up another two points rather quickly as well. But Fairy Tail still hadn't moved.
Lamia Scale acquired another two points from two other members of Quatro Puppy quickly, but Fairy Tail still hadn't moved.
Lamia Scale's luck almost didn't last as Toby and Novali were cornered by the final member of Quatro Puppy, Bacchus, but before any of those three could react, Sting came flying in from a nearby rooftop and buried Bacchus in the pavement, stealing five points and eliminating Quatro Puppy from the competition as Millianna had tied up the final member somewhere else in the city.
As Sting turned to finish the two from Lamia Scale, Kagura of Mermaid Heel blurred onto the scene and eliminated them both for two points with a brutal, yet effective strike of her sheathed sword. Sting wisely left before Kagura could turn her wrath on him.
And Fairy Tail still hadn't moved.
The crowd was in uproar, both with the action in the competition and the fact that they had yet to act. Makarov and the rest of the guild were of the same mind, but Mavis clarified.
"From all the previous competitions, I've observed the enemies' fighting strength, magic, psychology, and behavioral patterns. I took it all into account and ran hundreds of millions of battle simulations in my head," Mavis said, surprising the guild, but she paid them no mind.
"Their movements, predictions and results, locations. It's all gone according to my calculations," she stated with a shadowed face and an evil smirk. "I've already told them the strategy."
Somewhere across the real city of Crocus, Percy shivered.
Then, they moved.
LINEBREAK
Mira's plan was slightly [read: completely and utterly] more brilliant than Happy's. Two unsuspecting guards were stationed by a set of doors to the palace when Mira, disguised as a common soldier, escorted Wendy and Natsu, claiming that they were found snooping to free "the Fairy Tail girl". Once they were out of sight, the Exceeds peaked out from her cloak, and Percy materialized in step with them.
The infiltration was successful.
LINEBREAK
Fairy Tail split up and Mavis began commentary from the box. As she predicted, Rufus launched an assault on every member separately, all of whom dodged at the last moment, except for Laxus who just absorbed it. Rufus was understandably rattled and his thoughts disorganized.
Erza encountered an enemy first in Jenny from Blue Pegasus and swiftly dispatched her, followed by Gajeel, who did the same to Eve and Ren (Hibiki fled) from the same guild. Fairy Tail had been in motion for a few minutes and already tallied two points to their total. All as Mavis predicted.
Hibiki's retreat was unfortunately halted by Gray, adding another point to their total almost instantly.
Mavis kept calling out orders from the guild box (not that they could hear them), and Makarov remembered her old nickname from her early days in the guild. The Fairy Tactician had declared war.
Lamia Scale had tallied another two points as well with the eradication of Blue Pegasus, when the guild questioned Mavis about Jura. "I couldn't come up with a way to deal with him. That shows how exceptionally strong he is," was all she could answer.
LINEBREAK
The rescue team finally made it to the dungeons to liberate Lucy and immediately shushed her and Yukino's questions. Natsu melted the bars of the cell with Percy standing by using his senses for lookout, but unfortunately the floor of the dungeons opened up and the group fell back into the catacombs beneath the palace.
Percy checked over everyone quickly for any injuries, but a PA system interrupted his diagnosis. "Welcome to Hell Palace," it said and Percy snorted in amusement at the name. He had survived Tartarus and it didn't get any worse than that. No, these people would have to mobilize every guild in Fiore along with their army if they had any hope for bringing him down. Was he bluffing? Perhaps to some extent, but that wasn't really the point. He was interrupted by the PA again.
"You fell right into the trap. Look around you. This is the capital place of death, Hell Palace. The final freedom, where all criminals end up. However, no one has ever gotten out. Rot down there, rebels!"
Percy truly tried to contain his giggles. He tried to think of anything that couldn't be as remotely funny as what they believed they had him trapped in. The arrogance that something as meager as a catacomb for a lowly "rebel" - as they had put it - could contain him. Just as his father always said, "the sea does not like to be restrained."
He failed.
It started with quiet giggling that put the others with him on edge, finally thinking that he had gone insane. The giggles quickly evolved into chuckles, and like a dam had broken, he threw his head back and boomed laughter that echoed all around the cavern. It felt as if the entire earth around them was rumbling in tune with his amusement.
"Percy," Lucy said softly and Percy finally got his laughter under control.
"Sorry sorry. 'Hell Palace'? That's the best you can come up with? Lady-," he said as he identified the voice. If he had to guess, it was probably the Princess. "I spent 24 years in a hellscape that strikes fear into immortal beings' hearts. I traversed an eternal prison meant to hold monsters, Gods, and Titans for 24 years. I didn't just survive in it, I thrived in it and after my time there was up, I. Broke. Out!"
Percy gathered himself and sent a quick reassuring smile to the rest of the group he was with. He didn't want them to think that he had lost it. That he was crazy, or that he wasn't in control; they appreciated the sentiment greatly, if the relaxing of their shoulders was anything to go by. Then he faced right to where the gates of the so-called "Hell Palace" were and grinned a feral grin. One that belonged on a wolf or some other apex predator.
"Let's test that theory, shall we?"
LINEBREAK
Gray arrived in a quaint library within the mock city of Crocus during the event. With the first part of the First Master's plan fulfilled, he had only one single thought on his mind. And he knew full well that the cause of said thought would be residing there.
As he strolled through the building, he idly acknowledged the comfortable, yet almost regal designs, but he wasn't one for books. His real focus as he walked were on the words that the Fairy's God-Slayer said to him after the first event on Day 1.
'There's nothing wrong with wanting to pay someone back; hell that's our reason for even competing this year. But you can't let it consume you and blind you.'
He had found his target.
"I was told I'd meet you if I came here. Chalk up another one for Number One," Gray said, making Rufus lower the book he was reading from as he lounged.
"I almost forgot about you," was Rufus' unimpressed reply. Gray gave an internal growl. "Will you help me remember?" Rufus finished. 'Don't let it consume you.'
"Don't bother racking your brain about it. This is the end of the line for you," Gray gritted out with narrowed eyes.
'Don't let it blind you.'
AN: Sorry for the long break between updates. Bday and all that. Short chapter! It's hard to break up these episodes a bit to be honest, but the next chapter (next weekend ideally) will cover their escape, the event, and probably Future Lucy's death and/or the dragons' arrival.
If there are any stipulations with some exposition like Percy being blind, sorry for inaccuracies? Just roll with it, I guess? Percy isn't necessarily quick to anger for the reader that commented that, but when his friends are endangered it rears its ugly head and it's gotten maybe a bit more extreme given the situation he found himself in and being a founding member of the guild so.
Until next time!