Chapter 26
That was why Susan was here and presumed dead. He had thought Bray Wyatt was a tactical genius, obviously not. The man should have locked Susan away and used her that way, not had her tongue removed, publicly raped, and then supposedly killed. He was going to lose his sorcerer.
"You've seen Mythril in a solid form. Mythril is a… mineral, I guess, I'm not sure. But I know it has magical properties, we usually just use it for weapons. They don't break, bend, aim is usually true, and it's a quick death." He said finally. "But none of us study magic. And when it comes time to smelt it, I'm the only one who can handle it because it is dangerous to breathe in the fumes."
"So, it can be used for anything, really. Not just weapons, but you're the only one who can handle the fumes because of your magic?" Abigail summarized, sounding thoughtful and leaned back in her chair, her mind going back to the magic artifacts Malcolm had mentioned. Would he be angry with her if she went out on her own to retrieve some of them? Taker couldn't leave Wonderful unprotected and he was too valuable, whereas he wasn't. "We need more power. And getting Malcolm out is going to be very risky, but it also needs to happen. Are disguises and putting up a barrier around Wonderful the extent of your magic, or can you do other things with it? Could the Mythril maybe enhance them and make them stronger or something?"
"If you think it can be used for anything else then you know more than me." Taker said, popping a piece of fruit in his mouth. "I already told you, we don't study magic here. Magic hasn't really done the world much good, now has it?" He was beginning to notice she had a reliance on magic, or a belief that leaned towards cure-all. No doubt from spending way too much time with the DOV. "As for the extent of my magic… I can leave Wonderful and leave it protected in my absence, if I really must."
"Something tells me that wouldn't be easy for you to do though."
Abigail could tell he was solely against magic, or anything to do with it, which probably stemmed from Malcolm being his father. Glen was the one who knew all about the magic, who took after their father, while Mark was more like his mother and didn't want anything to do with it. This was getting them nowhere and Abigail felt more helpless than ever, chomping on another fry. Mythril had magical properties, which meant it could be used for more than just forging weapons. With Stephanie and the other conditions throughout Wonderful, wasn't it possible to transform it into a medicine of some kind? They would need Malcolm for that – Malcolm was the key to everything, it seemed. Suddenly, a lightbulb flicked on in her brain and Abigail felt him take her hand, staring into his eyes.
"Can you change the disguise of someone else besides yourself?" If they did that and went to the DOV to get Malcolm out, both with disguises, it could work, if done right.
"No. Just myself." It wasn't for lack of trying. Taker and Steve had some interesting thoughts about that very possibility and he frowned, staring at her. "Why?" Taker listened to her thoughts, about getting Malcolm out of the DOV, and his frown deepened. "Which is it, Abigail? Last night you didn't know any layouts or anything about the passageways, so how do you think we're going to get Malcolm out?" He wasn't sneaking into the DOV HQ for one person and she was going against what she had said last night. If he went, if any of them went, it was for all or nothing.
"You said it yourself, nobody has any knowledge of the studies of magic in Wonderful, but Malcolm does. I don't know the passageways of the castle, that's true. However, if you could disguise me like you and we go in as soldier and…a breeder," That left a horrible taste in her mouth to call the women of the DOV that term. "Nobody would bat an eyelash." Abigail knew this would take a great deal of trust on Taker's part because it would just be them going, nobody else." There's a lot of soldiers and women all over the place, so we'd blend right in. I know exactly where Malcolm's chambers are too. Malcolm is the one who got Susan out, so he must know which passageway to take to escape. I'm sure Malcolm can turn the Mythril into medicine for Stephanie and anyone else that needs it, different medicine for different problems. If that happens, there would be a huge supply of it. Maybe you could use the Mythril to…enhance your magic somehow, even for a little while, since it has magical properties and it'll give you enough juice to give us both disguises. It means leaving Wonderful, but you have great men here who will protect and, since Bray thinks I'm on his side, he's not going to attack right away. I told him a couple of months, it's only been one month, so we have a little leeway with time." She could see the doubt in his eyes with this plan, but Abigail wouldn't give up until he at least took the time to think things over. "I know you don't like magic and you think it's destroyed the world, but…magic might be the only way to save the world too, Taker."
"Last night you were very much against me leaving Wonderful," He reminded her gently. "Enough to speak out against me when I suggested sneaking into the castle and attacking then. Now, you want me to not only disguise myself, but you, and…. sneak in." He was having a hard time swallowing that, unable to push down the doubt that nagged the back of his mind. "As for Stephanie, she'll be fine for a bit and you are presuming a bit much about the uses of magic. You do realize, if our women were to drink something with Mythril in it, we don't know what the long terms effects are, or if magic will get another shot at playing with genetics?" Just when he thought he understood her, Abigail knocked him for another loop. "I will think on it, Abigail, but I can't give you an answer at this very moment."
"Because I was thinking with my heart and not my brain. I can't let my feelings interfere with what needs to be done. Saving Malcolm is the right thing to do, you were right, but you don't know the castle and neither do your men. You would go in blind, but if you went in with someone who has lived there for the past 10 years and who knows exactly where Malcolm is located, disguised, it would be a lot easier. We only need one passageway and since Malcolm saved Susan, he knows which one to take to get out of there with hopefully no problems. It's a risk, it's a HUGE risk and I know it's not a hop, skip and jump to get there either." Standing, Abigail bent down to brush her lips against his, since they weren't seen by a bunch of people and rested her forehead against his. "As for the Mythril, if anyone can make sure it's perfectly safe for everyone to take, once it's converted, it's Malcolm. He is the best at what he does." For god's sake, the man gave his own granddaughter a MAGICAL hysterectomy and replaced her tongue. "Thank you for thinking about it and listening to me. I won't bring it up again, but at least you know what's on my mind." Abigail felt marginally better, the weight lifted from her shoulders and began cleaning up the mess in the kitchen.
In all honesty, at this very moment, he thought Abigail was an idiot. However, he also knew that was in this moment and, once he was able to go think it through, his opinion would likely change. Last night, he had wanted to get in and been met with arguments about too many passages. Taker hadn't wanted to argue because the moment she opened her mouth, everyone jumped on board and, as much as he may have disagreed with an opinion, this was not a dictatorship. All they needed was ONE passage in, and he had a lot of men and a lot of weaponry. If Malcolm realized they were there, he doubted the old man would assist Wyatt.
"Overly. Complicated." He muttered, pushing himself upright and headed out of the common house.
It was time to go think about this.
After the common house was cleaned up and everyone fed from lunch, Abigail made her way upstairs to check on Susan, who was sleeping peacefully. She smiled, bending down to stroke the girl's cheek and covered her up before dropping a kiss on her forehead. Then, she left her be and headed back down the ladder to head out of the common house toward the medical wing. Time for that birth control shot – no babies for Abigail, not now and possibly not ever. After witnessing several horrendous births in the DOV, Abigail wanted nothing to do with motherhood. She stepped inside the medical wing and smiled at Melina rocking her son in a nearby rocking chair, wondering if this was a bad time.
"I-I can come back…" She spoke quietly.
"No, no it's fine. Let me just put him down." When Davey went down, nothing could wake him up until he was ready, just like his Daddy. "Here for your shot?"
"Yeah."
"When was your last period?"
"I just got over it a few days ago."
"Okay, that should be fine then. It probably won't kick in right away, so keep that in mind."
"Okay." Abigail winced when the shot was administered in her arm, the serum pushed into her system that would stop her from having babies. "I'll keep that in mind."
"Good." Melina slapped a band-aid on her arm. "Stephanie is fine, I know you were worried about her. As long as the stubborn woman stays off her feet and rests for the remainder of her pregnancy, she'll be fine."
Abigail breathed a sigh of relief, nodding. "Thanks for telling me." Then she headed out, so Melina could take care of her son and other medical obligations, deciding to walk around Wonderful for a bit to clear her head.
For the most part, Wonderful was very much like any other town pre-DOV war and revolution. It'd had all the modern things, and still did, in parts of it. Over the years, a lot of the houses and buildings had been ransacked for materials and supplies, or even torn down to repair the buildings that were actually used. Wonderful had housed thousands of people over the years, and the center of the town was still the focus, with housing spreading out from it. Wonderful still had its slums though, areas that were safe enough during the day, but at night, Taker had to have patrols go through every few hours, just because crime was still an issue.
"You are, uh, ne-ewwww," A voice sing-songed at Abigail, who in her wanderings had come into said slums. A blue-eyed man with shaggy hair had stepped into a doorway to watch her, an amused grin curving his lips.
"Yeah, I am."
Abigail smiled back at him, not sensing danger or else she would've hightailed it back across Wonderful. However, she didn't know this was the 'slums' even though it did look a little…rougher around the edges. She hadn't had a chance to really explore Wonderful much since arriving and figured, if Taker took her up on her offer with her plan, they would be leaving shortly. The blue-eyed man gestured her over and she obliged, wondering what kind of place this was. On the outside, it said SHIELD in bold letters, so it had to be some kind of business. The man with the shaggy hair wore black cargo pants and a sleeveless tight top, showing off his muscular arms. He was a good-looking man, but nothing compared to Taker.
He also wasn't as boring and straight-laced as Taker, not that this ebony-haired beauty would know anything about that. "I'm Dean."
He stepped out of the door and into the street, extending a hand to her, eyes sweeping over her and took in the telltale scent of… rolls. The common house had always smelled like rolls. He was betting money she was Stephanie's new monkey.
"Dean Ambrose, and you are…?"
She shook his hand with a soft smile, his eyes more captivating now that he was closer. They were electric blues, a lot lighter than Bray's, which were darker. His hair hung in his face somewhat, and he had a boyish look about him. He towered over her 5'6 frame, standing well over 6 feet and he was thin, muscular, and thin.
"Abigail. Abigail Waters, but most people just call me Abbie." She released his hand, sliding her hands in the back pockets of her shorts, and looked past him up at the building. "What is this place, Dean?"
"This?" He turned to look up at the building, shrugging. "Way back when I guess it was a place you'd come and get a bodyguard or something. I don't know. Just liked the name, so I kept it." Well, that was a 'we', but… "So, Abbie… what brings you to this part of Wonderful?" He asked, stepping towards her with a grin, though he did halt a respectable distance away. "Ah watch it, babe." Dean grabbed her arm and pulled her out of the way as a group of kids on bicycles came flying by.
Her body crashed against his as he pulled her to safety, guiding her toward the building and out of the street. "Thanks…" She gently pulled away from him, feeling somewhat embarrassed that happened. "I haven't really had a chance to venture around the place and figured I'd go for a walk to explore a bit." That sounded lame even to her ears, but it was truthful enough. "The name isn't bad. Shield. It sounds like a bodyguard type place." For some reason, she was curious about this man and felt drawn to him, clasping her hands in front of her. "So, what do you do now, Dean? Are you a bodyguard or did you change what type of business you run?"
"Not really much of a need for bodyguards in Wonderful, Abs." He retorted with a snort, reaching into a pocket of his black cargoes for a pack of cigarettes, offering the pack to her first. When she shook her head no, he bent his head down, coming back up with a hand-rolled cigarette between his lips. "Our fearless leader keeps it safe, don'tcha know?" His tone was relatively polite, but there was a hint of mockery underlying it. "Nope," Dean flashed a silver lighter, a flame, a long drag and with a click, the lighter was gone. "I'mma jack of all trades. Today, I'm your escort." He grinned at her. "If you want to see the other side of Wonderful, not the main square and um, the… monkeys." Because the people who lived up near the main square were usually associated with Taker in some way shape or form.
"A jack of all trades, huh?"
Bray smoked as well, which was a disgusting habit to Abigail, but she knew better than to say anything to him. This man reminded her a lot of Bray…the good parts anyway. She smirked back at him, folding her arms in front of her chest and arched a brow, midnight blues full of amusement. Dean was a breath of fresh air, someone who wasn't as tense and quiet – Undertaker had a presence about him that was both alluring and terrifying at the same time. Not that Abigail was afraid of him or anything, but that was just the type of aura he had.
"And why would you waste your time being my escort? Don't you have something more important to do?"
"Nah, it's a slow day, doll." Dean laughed, blowing a smoke ring over her head. His tobacco was laced with dried mint; he liked his nicotine with a side of something that didn't smell horrible and it was as close to menthol as he was getting these days. "Besides, escorting a beautiful woman around… what man doesn't want to do that?" Reaching up to push his hair back from his face, he offered his arm to her. "C'mon, I'll show you where the 'wonder' in Wonderful comes from."
