Helen stumbled through the dust cloud, trying to find her way over the wreckage. She and her group that had volunteered to stay behind and help Isabel were saved by the interior structure slowing fall the fall of the bridge. However, they were left shaken and blinded by the debris. She tried to call out her daughter's name, but every time she opened her mouth, she choked on the thick air. Her ears were ringing as she could faintly hear others call out for help. The dust cleared partially. It was just enough for her to see where she was going without tripping.
She saw silhouettes rushing around to help those buried beneath the rubble. Helen glanced down and saw motionless, bloody bodies trapped under steel and rock. Panic started to set in as she tried to look for any survivors. She prayed that those close to her had found shelter.
Before long, Helen saw an arm and a head poking out from blocks of rock and a metal frame. She clapped her hands over her mouth and gasped. Finally, she found her voice.
''Jon! No!''
She ran towards him, stumbling and tripping a few times. She scraped her knew, drawing blood, but that didn't stop her from coming to her friend's aid. From what she could see, he was still in one piece, but he wasn't responding to her calls.
''Someone help,'' Helen yelled as she tried to pry him free. ''He's not breathing!''
Suddenly, she felt someone behind her. Before she could say anything, she felt a hand grab her arm and pull her away.
''We can't save him,'' Cruise said, always looking up to make sure nothing else was about to fall on them. ''He's gone.''
Helen shook her head and fought against him. ''No, we need to get him out of there before he bleeds out.''
''It's too heavy. It might still fall and cruse you too!''
As the two of them fought, more people limped in their direction. The first recognizable face they saw was Thane, whose face was covered in blood and dust. He coughed and looked down at his hands. Becoming wide-eyed, he tried to clean the blood off his palms. He hissed in pain as they stung because of the many cuts. Next to him, Giovanni and Jess helped each other. A large gash could be seen running down Giovanni's leg while Jess had a bloody gut above her left eye, and the right side of her forehead was swelling. Behind them was Dominic and some of his Vipers, just as bruised and shaken by what had happened.
Helen continued to fight against Cruise until someone collapsing beside them caught their attention. They turned and saw Erika huddled over her daughters. They were crying and pointing to their mother's shoulder, where a metal spike had pierced through her flesh and came out the other end. Immediately, Helen and Cruise stopped fighting and rushed to her aid. Those that were still able to help also hurried to assist with Erika. She let go of Naomi and Jasmine as Cruise straightened her back and grabbed the spike from one end while someone from his Crew grabbed the other.
He stared into Erika's teary eyes. ''This is going to hurt like hell.''
Erika grit her teeth and looked away. She didn't need to say anything. She felt Helen grab her hand and hold it for support. Jess had limped her way forward and held Erika's other hand. The pole was yanked out from her shoulder, causing her to scream in pain. Giovanni covered the wounds using part of his clothing. The fabric quickly turned red with blood.
He turned to Helen. ''We can't stay here. The injured need immediate treatment.''
''But, there are still people trapped under…''
Everyone was quiet when they heard a mighty roar. At first, they assumed it belonged to one of the Drakes, but there was a pained, almost human-like tone. The sound thundered through them, making their bones quake and their blood boil. Helen glanced around, trying to see what had happened to Isabel. But with the broken remains of the bridge around them, she couldn't see a thing. She wanted to find high ground and see if that noise was coming from her daughter. Something inside her told her that roar belonged to Isabel somehow. But, she couldn't abandon everyone else. She was reminded of Jon. She turned sharply, saddened to see he was still buried beneath the rubble. But, there was something else that caught her eye that made her heart stop.
''Girls, get away from there!'' She called out. But, Jasmine and Naomi wouldn't listen to her.
Erika lifted her head, fighting through the tears to see what her daughters were doing. She gasped when she saw Jasmine wiggle her way through the cracks, trying to reach for Jon. When she couldn't quite get him, she dug herself a little deeper. Naomi sat behind her, holding her ankles and stopping her from becoming trapped. Instinctively, Erika tried to get up so that she could hurry to her children. But she was stopped by the intense pain in her shoulder and Cruise holding her back.
''They're the only ones here small enough to get through to him.''
''They'll be killed.'' Erika shrieked.
''That's the risk that needs to be taken,'' Cruise said. His tone wasn't sad or angry. He spoke in a matter-of-fact manner. ''This world doesn't show mercy to children as most humans do. They have to be brave enough and smart enough to take chances and come out stronger.''
The group watched on, holding their breath as Jasmine grabbed Jon by the arm and started dragging him in her direction. The process was slow and agonizing to watch. With Naomi's help, the two girls used all of their strength to pull the unconscious man towards them, away from the metal frame holding him down. They got as far as they could before the gap was too small for Jon to fit through. On cue, the Crew rushed forward and with a combined effort, lifted the rubble just enough for a few to help the girls pulled Jon to safety. When he was finally free, they dropped the heavy rocks and checked on Jon. Helen and Jess waited with bated breath as they checked his pulse.
''He's alive,'' one of them said. ''He might have a concussion. But his heart is still ticking. Son of the bitch won't quit just yet.''
Helen sighed with relief. Jasmine and Naomi thinking quickly and saving Jon sparked hope that others could be rescued. After the girls returned to their proud mother, everyone searched around the rubble for any more signs of life. However, Helen's thoughts returned to Isabel. The battle had gone strangely quiet. And after the roar they heard earlier, Helen didn't want to wait to find out what had happened. She rose to her feet and hurried to where she last saw Isabel. She climbed over a piece of the bridge, almost falling when it snapped trying to hold her weight.
Before she fell, a hand reached around her waist to grab her. ''I've got you,'' Jess said, ignoring her own pain so that Helen was kept balanced.
''Thank you,'' Helen replied, helping Jess as well.
The two of them worked together, moving as quickly as possible until they finally reached the highest pointed that overlooked the battlefield. They held their breath as they found nothing.
''They're gone.'' Jess murmured.
Isabel and the Drakes were nowhere to be seen. The ground was broken and scorched, showcasing the aftermath of their struggle, but there was nobody to be found. They weren't sure at this stage if this was a good thing or not.
''They must have taken her,'' Helen gulped. ''That's the only explanation. Oh God, they have my daughter. What will they do to her?''
Jess could see the fear in Helen's eyes. The historian who was usually a beacon of calm strength was slowly falling apart as the reality of the situation dawned on her. At first, Jess wasn't sure what to say. She was just as frightened as Helen was. Horrid thoughts plagued her mind, all hinting at a terrible fate for her dearest friend. She shook away those thoughts and turned to Helen. ''We're going to get her back.''
''How?'' Helen replied. ''We don't know anything about these Drakes, they…''
The two of them turned to face each other, both struck by the same idea. ''Dominic!''
Just as they turned to return to the group, they see Giovanni approaching them. He glanced at the two of them curiously. ''What happened? Where's Isabel?''
''We believe the Drakes took her,'' Helen answered. ''We need to speak with Dominic. If anyone knows where they could be heading, it's him. Where is he now?''
''He's with the others…'' Giovanni paused and lowered his gaze to the ground.
Helen noticed his crestfallen look. ''What's going on?''
A solemn sigh escaped from Giovanni. ''They found Pitt.''
XXX
Helen and Jess returned to the group with Giovanni. They stopped when they saw everyone staring at Cruise, who was kneeled over a pile of rubble where a body was half-buried. Helen wanted to look away, but she couldn't tear her eyes off of Pitt's pale face and lifeless eyes which stared up towards the sky.
''You dumb bastard,'' Cruise whispered, gripping his comrade's limp hand tightly. ''You were supposed to make it all the way with me.''
It was strange. Helen had never seen Cruise like this before. His eyes were dry and his expression was blank, but his voice was quiet and his hands wouldn't stop shaking. It was as if at any moment if he said one word more, he would break down in front of everyone.
''But…'' Jess sobbed. ''He was with us…''
''He was…'' A Viper stepped forward. ''We were about to be buried, but he came out of nowhere and pushed us out of the way…took the fall for us.''
Cruise let out a strained chuckle. ''Yeah…that's how I always imagined he'd go.''
Among the group, Erika was the first to notice that something else was amiss. She turned to Helen and Jess. ''What happened with Isabel and the Drakes?''
''I think the Drakes have taken her as their prisoner,'' Helen replied, causing shockwaves around the group that had gathered. ''We need to go after her.''
''Go after her?'' Another Viper gasped. ''She was taken by Drakes. Any time that happens it's usually certain death, or worse.''
Helen shook her head. ''Not for Isabel. If they haven't killed her, that means they might need her for something or want to use her in some way. I'm going to find them. But we need to know where they're heading.''
After a moment of uncertain silence, Dominic stepped forward. ''I can take you. I know the way to where Albatox and Baerock rest.''
Cruise scoffed, refusing to even turn in Dominic's direction. ''This is all your fault.''
''I know,'' Dominic sighed. ''I don't expect you to forgive me. I didn't believe we could be saved from the Drake's reign. But, I see that I shouldn't give up on humanity just yet. If they have not killed the Dragon Slayer, then she must be special. She may be the one to save us. I refuse to die as the man who turned his back on the world.''
Without saying a word in response, Cruise reached up to Pitt's face and closed his friend's eyes. He rose to his feet and looked at the ground around him. ''Alright, you primitive screwheads, listen up. I won't hold grudges against those who don't want to come with us to save our fiery redhead, but if you do decide to help we want you to give everything you've got and more. Are you with us?''
Instantly, his Crew stepped forward. They were brimming with confidence. Before long, some of Dominic's Vipers also joined them. More and more stood proud and were ready to join the fight. Even those that were injured showed their grit by raising their hands and pumping their fists. Erika was helped to her feet by Jasmine and Naomi. Giovanni gave a firm nod, while Helen and Jess gazed at each other. Their hearts were beginning to believe that this rescue mission was possible.
''What about the weapon?'' Thane called out, walking forward. ''Isn't that supposed to be our mission? If the Drakes are busy with Isabel, that means they'll be too preoccupied to come after us. Let's just move on while we have the chance.''
He had no time to defend himself as a fist came flying and decked him across the face. He fell to the ground, shocked and in pain after such a hard strike. Looking up, he expected to see Helen or Cruise, even Jess. But, he was surprised to see the one standing above and glaring down at him in disgust.
''When the roles were reversed,'' Giovanni said. ''She did everything she could to save you. Now is your time to repay her.''
It was impossible to tell which was hurt more, Thane's face or his pride. He slowly got back up, rubbing his mouth to see that he was bleeding. He clutched his fist in anger but didn't dare to look Giovanni in the eye.
Helen stepped forward to address the group. ''Let's go save my daughter.''
XXX
HELLO MY SWEET SUPERSTARS! I REALLY HOPE THAT YOU LIKED THIS NEW CHAPTER. IT HURT ME SO MUCH TO BRING HURT AND PAIN TO MY CHARACTERS, BUT THIS IS A DARK WORLD AND NOT EVERYONE IS GOING TO GET A HAPPY ENDING, UNFORTUNATELY. BUT, THERE IS ALWAYS HOPE AND THEY WILL CONTINUE TO FIGHT ON UNTIL THE END. DO YOU THINK THEY CAN HELP SAVE ISABEL? WHAT KIND OF DYNAMIC ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING WITH THE GROUP NOW THAT THE DRAGON SLAYER IS OUT OF ACTION FOR NOW. IN THE NEXT CHAPTER, WE WILL SEE WHERE ISABEL HAS BEEN TAKEN. I CAN'T WAIT TO SHOW YOU ALL WHAT IS COMING NEXT. I HOPE THAT YOU LIKE IT.
I BEEN HAVING SOME TROUBLES OVER THE PAST WEEK. FIRSTLY, P/A/T/R/E/O/N HAS BEEN ACTING UP FOR ME SO I'VE HAD TROUBLE POSTING NEW UPDATES, BUT I PROMISE THAT I WILL POST THEM SOON. ALSO, PART OF MY HOME WAS FLOODED SO I'VE HAD TO TAKE CARE OF THAT. I PROMISE THAT I WILL DO MY BEST TO STAY ON SCHEDULE FOR YOU ALL. IN THE MEANTIME, YOU ALL STAY SAFE AND TA-TA FOR NOW.
