Brook jumped from where he was standing beside Seth and Paige. His communicator, as well as Seth and Paige's, began beeping frantically. Paige gasped and shook her head looking at it in disbelief. For once, it was good news. What everybody saw on the screen put hope in their hearts.
"She's alive…" Seth breathed. He felt the tension fade away, and only then did he realize how tense he really was. He ran a hand through his shaggy hair, cringing when he hit a knot. When they got back, he made a note to take a shower. "Come on. Who knows what that creep has done to her! Brook, you take the rear, Paige and I will take the front-"
"Seth, that isn't the best idea. He probably has spies watching all his flanks so he doesn't get ambushed," Brook responded. Seth's bushy brows furrowed. He scratched his head, trying to come up with another idea. It wasn't easy, and not having Homura around to bounce his ideas off of was beginning to show.
"Maybe if we all charge in…?" Seth suggested.
"That is highly illogical. If we want to save her, we must sneak in and save her. Judging from the coordinates, she is alone at the moment," Paige remarked. Seth bit his lip, and then rubbed his neck. Shaking his head, he motioned for Brook and Paige to follow. "Seth, be logical. What would be the best plan to save Homura and get out undetected?"
Seth placed his hands to his head. "I-I don't know!" he hollered. Brook and Paige backed away, sharing a look of concern. With their leader cracking, they weren't sure if they could go with how Seth was acting at the current moment. Brook placed a tentative hand on the earth wielder's shoulder. "Normally…I have her to bounce ideas…but now-"
"Shush," Brook hissed. Seth whipped around, his eyes wide. The earth wielder's breath caught in his throat. He let out a whimper and buried his head in his arms. Brook looked up at Paige and shook his head. He moved his hand, and took Paige to the side. "We have to come up with something."
"I concur, but what?" The nindroid girl asked. Brook sucked in a deep breath. He shrugged his shoulders.
"All I know is that we gotta get Homura out of the enemy's arms. We'll take the stealth approach," Brook responded. Paige nodded her head in agreement. They turned back, sending sympathetic looks towards Seth, who still had his head buried in his arms. Brook tapped Seth on the shoulder, motioning for him to follow them. "Come on, we've got a plan."
The earth wielder shook his head, brushing his hair out of his eyes. It still was greasy, which sent another wave of shivers down his spine at how untamed and unwashed his hair was. Seth looked up, seeing Paige and Brook already heading towards the east side of the cave. He got up, sighing heavily at what he had become; a shadow of what his father once was. Here he was, crying and moping, while his father would've used that determination to pick himself up and continue on with a renewed purpose.
Brook and Paige had pulled their respective weapons and crept silently across the ledge inside the cave. Seth eventually joined them, holding his scythe with one hand and gripping the ledge like he was climbing. Brook turned to look at Paige's communicator, seeing it was beeping. The blue, grey, and black dots were nearing the red one. They were getting closer, but the question that remained on everybody's minds was the same: how much longer did they have to reach Homura while she was still alive?
Paige shook her head, seeming to be able to read the energy of her comrades in the dark corner. "We must stay strong, brothers. Homura would want us to be strong, despite the terrors we are currently facing internally. Knowing her, I am almost positive she is staying tough in the predicament she is currently in, and is hoping we do the same. We need to let go of our worries and focus on the task at hand; saving Homura."
Brook nodded his head. "I got ya. That's the only clear thing though. Everything else is still a bit fuzzy though…" he trailed off when a sound reached his ears. Putting his hand up, silence filled the air. The only sound was that of rushing water. "She wouldn't be here, she despises the water…"
Paige looked down at her communicator again. The red dot was still in the same spot, seemingly just below the three. Out of the corner of Seth's eye, he saw a speck of crimson and black curling up in the corner of the cave. He let go of the ledge, rolling to another piece of rock with his scythe still pulled and ready to attack. Brook and Paige followed his lead, sharing concerned looks.
"Paige, can you scan and see if that's Homura?" Seth hastily asked. Paige looked at where the earth wielder's finger was pointing. She nodded, her eyes going from their normal color to a pure blue, and began scanning the area. Paige went over to the crimson and black speck and picked it up. She came back over and handed it to Seth. His heart dropped.
If heart-breaking could be heard, Brook and Paige were certain that this would've been the moment the shattering hit its climax. Seth dropped the piece of cloth, whimpering. His hands shook, and stifled sobs echoed off the cave walls. He fell and punched the ground so hard that a crater was formed in its wake. If only he were there… whatever came after Homura so close as to rip off a piece of her gi would have his backside handed to him. Seth couldn't help a million thoughts from swirling in his head about Homura's condition. It couldn't be true, it just couldn't. He let out a scream of rage and hit the ground again, more rocks forming into spikes.
Brook and Paige stepped back, sharing looks of sheer terror and concern. The rocks kept forming as Seth kept pounding the ground. The cave began to shake. Brook squeezed Paige's hand. The nindroid quickly scanned, her eyes wide at the discovery.
"We must get out of here! The cave is too unstable thanks to Seth's fit!" She exclaimed, her body trembling slightly. Brook nodded at the assessment and pointed to the exit.
"Go on. See if you can pinpoint Homura's location outside. I'll try and get Seth," Brook commanded. Paige nodded at the command and sprinted towards the exit. The cave was beginning to collapse even more around the earth and lightning wielders. Brook ran over to his best friend, shaking him. "We've gotta get outta here Seth!"
Seth looked up, tears reflecting in his eyes. "Why?! She's as good as gone! I'd rather die here!" he cried. Brook placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. Seth gulped, placing a hand over his face. Brook sighed quietly. Neither of them were going to make it out alive if Seth didn't cooperate. The lightning wielder made a split second decision and grabbed Seth by the collar of his gi and drug him out of the cave.
Brook and Seth collapsed when they got out of the cave. Paige looked down at the boys. She offered them both a hand. They took it and stood up. Seth turned to look at the cave, forcing a swallow down when he saw they were almost buried alive. He tensed up, looking at the ice and lightning wielders.
"I-I'm sorry," his voice that was usually strong and confident now was littered with brokenness and regret. He leaned against one of the trees that was standing, burying his face with his hand. Brook and Paige quietly conversed about what to do next, leaving Seth to try and navigate through his broken thoughts.
Great, she's gone. We're trapped here, and she's dead. What did Father see in me that was well enough to lead this team? I've only led them down the path of despair…Seth thought to himself. He took a shaky breath and ran his other hand through his hair, cringing once again at the greasiness. The earth wielder looked up, seeing Brook and Paige still quietly conversing. He assumed it was about the coordinates, so he kept quiet.
He looked down, seeing his communicator had come to life once again. The screen flashed, and then a picture appeared on it. Intrigued and still trapped in his own world of self-pity, he clicked on the accept button. His communicator had static on the screen, and then he gasped.
Reddish-brown hair, amber eyes, and a freckled face with a scar filled the screen. The girl looked extremely worse for wear. She looked up, her eyes sparkling with her familiar fire. Her typical smirk played on the corner of her lips as she opened her mouth to speak.
"S-Seth…" she croaked out before a coughing fit overtook her. The earth wielder adjusted the communicator so he could see the screen better. It was blurry, suggesting that the receiving communicator had a crack on the camera. "P-Please, you have to hurry…I-I don't know how much longer I can hold out…"
"Where are you?" Seth asked hastily. Out of the corner of his eye, Paige and Brook rushed over to see who Seth was talking with. The girl's eyes closed for a moment, a groan escaping her lips. "Where are you?! Please, we need to know!"
"H-hurry please…." The girl rasped before her eyes rolled to the back of her head. Seth, Paige, and Brook shared a look with each other that spelled out the same conclusion; they had to go, right now.