Chapter 7 - Whispers of Dissent
Written by Demod20 and LastationLover5000
The Emerald Mountains
Victory.
That's what the Robin Hoodlums had achieved. In a single night they managed to accomplish what not even the Balam Alliance had done. The assault on Mercurius Castle within the heart of Fiore's capital city of Crocus was executed without anyone knowing they were coming. Dozens of guards were injured and just as many were killed in the ensuing chaos. And the contents of the vault was effectively ripped asunder, granting yet another kingdom's wealth straight into their possession.
There was just one problem; they didn't get the whole prize, and not without cost. Three of their Frontline had been injured severely, and a fourth was displaced from the battlefield so far that the rest of the Hoodlums had to prioritize regrouping with him at the end. And with their primary healer out of commission, their leader ordered rest to recoup before leaving the country, despite them still being within line of sight of the now reinforced city they just escaped from.
The just little over twenty four lower tier brigrands of the gang were huddled up by makeshift tents, fires already made on whatever patch of soft soil that could be afforded. The makeup and appearance ranged from eyepatched pirates to lanky cutthroats, each one being a pariah or an obvious element of the underbelly of society. Being brought into the Hoodlums they were riding the high of successful theft after victorious heist which had spurred them on to make such a bold assault in the first place.
Now, with many finding themselves winded from the ordeal, began to look about with a sense of unease and uncertainty from the state their gang's lieutenants had been subjected to.
Which Handsome had made no qualms of voicing his own grievances.
"Damn it...!" The immensely large man kicked at the ground, cracking it under heel as his large-chinned face construed to a visage of anger, bare to the rest of the camp since the day they had found him. It hadn't changed after three days of rest, and he still paced around, like a caged animal looking for any excuse to break something or someone. "This is an insult! I am within view of the prize and I can't even be allowed to run rampant; this travesty is without recourse!"
"Can you chill already?" A small voice came from behind him, doing little to inhibit his stilt-like strides of his long legs. "Like, seriously. I don't think you've slept more than a few hours last night; and you're not even banged up like we were."
"What I lack in physical wounds I have an entire night stolen from my mind," The auburn haired man - messy and disheveled, no longer resembling its presentation of nobility he played in the facade previously - violently twitched as he continued to pace. "In a single instant...that scarred man...covered in blood...stole the experience of battle and death that was rightfully mine!"
Runt couldn't help but roll her eyes. She still felt sore from the baggage that was her unconscious colleagues carried on what was an injured body of her own. Even if it wasn't for her innately curious endurance, she had no love of doing so. To hear a man who had received no real wound but a case of amnesia and physical displacement was, while humorous at the time, was quickly growing tedious after several days of raving from the giant mage.
Of course, after regaining consciousness, he wasn't the only one playing at her nerves.
Casting a glance over at the crimson-black dressed princess of vanity and sadism, Brutalia had an entire campfire to herself by virtue of no one wanting to approach her. Ever since she had regained consciousness she had this air to her that was a seething fury. Eyes glared at the glowing embers of the flames that danced across her vision. Any attempt of conversation by her peers had been met with silence or glares. Runt understood that she was blindsided just like they all were, but the Telekinetic Mage's pride must have been wounded the greatest.
"It seems everyone is a bit on edge."
"Gee, I haven't noticed," Runt sighed, looking over at a wiry thin silhouette that hadn't been visible till just now. She graced a smile on her childish face, the woman looking up at the man who had sunken cheeks, dark circles around the eyes but bright blue eyes that defied the long unkempt mane of black hair surrounding his oblong crown. Wearing a tattered cloak with a unfastened suit-jacket with a red tie within, he leaned down to sit beside her as his pale long fingers shook in a united clasped grip. Leaning her orange-blonde haired head to the side, she gestured with her head while whispering to the man. "You feeling alright?"
"I-I'm still t-trembling," The man stuttered with admission, nodding his head with a sheepish smile. "I-I'm still not all really comfortable, even with them, y-you know? T-They scare me..."
"They're just overgrown children," The disproportionately sized woman sighed aloud, leaning back on her hands and looking up at the clouds passing overhead of the mountainside they were camped upon. "We were playing it way too safe for years. I'm just amazed that we got this far without having setbacks like this; still not fun to have, but I can see it for what it is."
"I-I'm just h-happy you're okay-"
"What was that?" She questioned, faintly hearing what he said but not quite sure she truly heard it.
"I-I'm just glad we made it out alright," He readjusted, forcing a smile as his eyes squinted shut towards her. "If I lost any of my comrades now, I don't know what I would've done w-with m-myself!"
"You won't get rid of me that easily, Mirror," She replied with a wink, nudging him with a playful push of her knuckled hand. "As long as we're together, nothing will take us down."
"Right," Mirror admitted, calming a bit as she said that.
A few murmurs and crackles of the fire passed, silence coming between them again. There was an eerie unease that they could feel. It wasn't just the grunts that filled the Hoodlums' ranks. Runt herself could tell something was should've cracked open the champagne, be celebrating and glad they kicked in the doors of another home of entitlement and autocracy.
It wasn't guilt, that's for sure. An omen?
"KEEP YOUR HANDS TO YOURSELF!"
A shriek suddenly brought the pair's eyes to look over. On reflex, Mirror had disappeared from view, leaving Runt alone by her squatting point. The angrily pacing Handsome halted, lurching around to glance in irritation at the cause of commotion.
There, they could see Brutalia snarled in a standing turn towards what looked like Eris Vythis approaching her from behind. She had the hands of healing light emanating from her armored palms, a halo of yellow glowing behind her head. The rosy haired woman looked aghast at the response, her ruby eyes blinking with surprise as she backed away from the shrill speaking woman of dirty blonde hair.
"I...had no intent of ill towards you, Brutalia," Eris carefully explained, disengaging her Kaleidoscope as she waved her hands with gentle emphasis. "You looked as if you were in discomfort, so I thought to ease any pain you might have been feeling-"
"I never asked so keep your hands away from me, elf!" The ruby lipped woman sneered with visible contempt. "Everyone else got the hint. I thought you were the smart one, huh?!"
"Its just that-"
"Keep. Away. From me!" She hissed, the air swirling around threateningly, the fire of the embers she had been resting rose up in a swirl of threatening light that danced over her head in a violent rotation. "I didn't give you permission to approach me. I've done far worse to those who've offended me; want me to give you a demonstration?!"
"Please, calm yourself," The pink tressed female insisted, a white halo popping up behind her and shrouding her body in a protective veil of energy that she gathered with a clap of her armored palms. "I'd rather we not fight amongst ourselves over trivial issues. You suffered a defeat, as I and your companion have. Do not let this throw you into hysteria-"
"I was bested by a child!" Brutalia emphasized with bared teeth, eyes shrinking as she swung her gloved palms around with incredulity. "Worse, the child was a Dragon Slayer! Someone who was sobbing and as pitiful as that had no right to lay such devastation upon my body! I didn't permit it, nor did she earn it! And you try to console me as if I was the weakling! The arrogance you have must be seeped into your bones, you pointy eared witch!"
Eris winced at that, looking hurt at having made an attempt to heal but was being shamed for doing so.
"Oh get off your soap box!" Runt snapped, bringing Brutalia's swirling glare to look straight at the miniature woman. With her hands balled up at her side, she raised a fist angrily as she glared back at manically shouting mage. "Look around you, we've all been bested more times than we can count. But did that stop us? We've robbed, beaten and killed our fair share of people, and we haven't always got to walk away with such poise like you have. Now you get KO'd, you're acting like a child! Kinda hypocritical when you talk down to me when I act like my size, isn't it?"
In a split second, Runt saw the spiraling flame lash out like a serpent towards her. She raised a hand to deflect the fire with her own sparking flame. Once it made contact with her hand, however, she cried out in pain as her body twisted with an unseen force and was thrashed across the ground with a line of sparking embers trailing across the earth.
"Runt!" Eris cried out, looking towards her colleague and then angrily back at Brutalia. "Stop it, Brutalia!"
"Or what?" Brutalia haughtily stared back. With a distant raise of her hand, she gestured Runt's twitching body into the air much to the dismay of the hidden Mirror and the fear imbued awe of the rest of the present Hoodlums. "I have a simple rule, Eris. I told everyone when I joined this little excursion that I was to be given the respect that someone of my status and power deserves. When I have a lowlife like her talk down to me, I have to teach her a lesson; and as much as you like to think, elf, you aren't my superior but my inferior. So let me teach you this using her as an example."
Swinging her hand down, the small woman was brought down with a vicious crunch while crashing deep into the earth. Dragging out like being hoisted by a rope, the invisibly tethered woman cried out as she was drawn out in a corkscrew motion across the soil, splashing across campfires that burned her and smashed through rocks and gravel of the mountainside they presided upon. Twisting about, she'd jerk upright, arms and legs spreadeagled in an undignified posture as debris clung dirtily to her cut and bruised body not more than a handful of meters aside from the helplessly staring Eris and the haughtily grinning Brutalia.
"Well-Well, not looking so tough, now are we?" The dirty blonde princess of malice proclaimed. Withdrawing a fan, she flourished it over her face, waving it just beneath her glaring eyes that looked at Runt's wincing visage. "Go on. Grovel. I want to hear that little mouth of yours beg me to make it stop."
"H-Heh," She grinned past her grimace, bringing a look of confusion on Brutalia's gaze. "Is that...all you got? You hit like you're...half my size."
A sudden jerk brought her to be face first in the earth, grounded in a telekinetic pull to skid straight towards her skirted front. A heel rose up and slammed into her head, grinding painfully against her crown as she was splayed helplessly beneath her foot.
"That insolence isn't at all becoming of you, Runt," She murmured with curl of her lips, eyes widening with sadistic glee. "It seems more punishment is required to tame that wild sense of disrespect of yours!"
"Stop this madness!" Eris cried out, her hangs swinging out with a look of dread on her face. "She doesn't deserve this!"
"I disagree," Brutalia snorted. "In fact, this has been a long time coming. Her smart mouth has to be dumbed down, and the only way is to rid her of that foolish notion of false pride."
"C-Can anyone see a problem with this?" The elven mage turned around, asking the crowd of spectating Hoodlums with a mixture of intrigue and fear on their faces. With no sign of Mirror, she looked to the squinting gaze of Handsome, and called out to him with an outstretched hand. "Handsome! There is no honor in beating someone weaker than you, nor there is sport in watching this. Will you stand by and watch a comrade of yours be brutalized in such a horrid display?!"
"Hmmmmm," The large man gripped his pronounced chin, rubbing it thoughtfully as he looked on. Even as Brutalia only gave a parting, humored glance at him, he in turn smiled ruefully back at Eris in return. "I haven't the slightest idea what kind of nonsense you're espousing. This is no different than watching animals tear each other apart. And to that I say, 'Survival of the fittest'; a credo of those who are criminals like we all are, no?"
"No way..." Eris shook in place, looking horrified at the lack of loyalty these people had for one another, even when Runt would've stood up for each and every one of them in the past.
Brutalia let out a laugh as she began to stomp down on the woman's head repeatedly, the sight of dirt and blood rising up adding to the morbid scene befitting of her moniker. Eris felt her eyes sting with tears, feeling compelled to step in but finding it difficult to push past someone of such obvious power and skill difference. If she stepped in, the others might be drawn into the fray as well, and everyone's steps of recovering would be for naught.
I'm sorry, Runt, but please bear with it, The elven mage thought with her eyes clenching shut, looking away from the horrific scene. She'll be satisfied after too long, right? You're tougher than what she can deliver. I'll try to make it up to you, I swear it!
"That's it! You're lower than dirt! Lap it up like a good maggot!" Brutalia yelled out with mania, once again bringing out an air of fear from the Hoodlums surrounding her, with only Handsome watching with a thin smile. The stomps perforated the mountainside, with no sight of the infamous leader nor his right hand, the reprisal seemed impossible to the ruthless actions being committed.
Crack!
A jerk to the face, followed by what could only be seen as an absurd occurrence. A rock had slammed straight into the side of her face, knocking her off balance and staggering away from the ground planted Runt. Raising a hand to feel the bruised cheek, with blood escaping out of the corner of her mouth, she could taste a familiar copper flavor following ichor flooding her tongue.
"L-Leave her a-alone!" A stammering voice called out, louder than ever heard by anyone, that brought all eyes towards him. The wiry thin body of the tattered man who held a handful of rocks in his possession. Tears were flowing out of his eyes and off his face, the fear present in his buckling legs but overwhelmed as she raised rocks as threateningly as he could to throw them at the brutal woman. "Runt doesn't deserve this! S-So stop hurting her, you bully!"
As more projectiles flung towards her, they'd be stopped in midair by a pointed scowl. Proceeding to grind them into powder with just a glare, light of a deep red color filled the air, swirling around her as the mountainside they camped out began to stir and crack beneath her heels. Eris nervously stepped back at the sight of it, an opaque glow of pupiless white shining from her eyes with a mask of malicious energy poised towards the shaking reed that was Mirror; she looked like a demon rather than a hoop-skirted princess that she usually presented herself.
"A coward like you striking my face?! The gall...!" She raised her fan, a swirl of invisible energy made visible as a twister of psionic forces at work. "I'll kill you-!"
"Brutalia."
A single word, and the fury of the dirty blonde woman was stifled. Normally melodic, the source of it was made evident as her energy dissipated and she'd look up, seeing the heel-clasped feet riding what looked like a snowflake-shaped projection. Lowering itself down to the ground, with Bobbie standing directly behind him, the witch-hat adorned androgynous beauty coolly stared at the Telekinetic Mage with chiding chill escaping his lips.
"It seems you finally snapped and took it out on your comrades," He stated, his eyes making brief glances at the carnage to the campsite that was made in wake of the very fresh scuffle. "Runt might have said something to tip you over the edge, but this feels excessive. So tell me, Brutalia," The Generous Robin continued, looking over at her with a measure of composure that outweighed an ominous sense of pressure that left his mouth. "Do you have issues with me, to have no respect for my rules I have laid out, and act in such a disgraceful way?"
"Issues?" Brutalia visibly twitched. "Issues would be your sense of fashion, the way you speak or how you generally think of nothing of differing opinions until one breaks the rules. No, I am outright furious with you, 'Generous' Robin!"
"Why is that?"
"First of all," The woman began, swinging the fan around to the rest of the onlookers that made up the Hoodlums. "You haven't let us see a coin, let alone a scrap of jewelry, since we began this tour of theft on the royals across Ishgar. We deserve a modicum amount of the bounty, yet you have denied us all of that."
"You'll be rewarded in due time," Robin replied with a scowl. "I haven't went against my word in the past. Do you think to call me a liar?"
"You certainly haven't been truthful to us either," Brutalia sneered, raising up a finger to jab at him. "Secondly, these so-called rules of yours is antithetical to the very reason any of these louts have joined you. Ever consider why we're part of the underbelly of society? We don't care for rules. I don't know about them, but I am above such petty contrivances; and you have the audacity to limit myself on what I can or cannot do when we are robbing people!"
"That's right!" Handsome bellowed, swinging a hand as he shouted across the distance towards his young leader. "You scolded me on blood I spilled but I have no memory of, but on events before, you keep denying me what I find pleasure in! We are not an order of chivalrous heroes; we are bandits-!"
In that moment, they felt a palpable wave of energy fill the air. Space warped, straining with the feeling of a chilling pressure that wore down upon them. A translucent blue aura exuded off the long-haired back, over the thin robed chest and down to the heeled feet. Moreso, his eyes held a contracted glare that poised towards the pair, his mouth pulled into a thin-lipped sneer.
"I know you are both scum, Handsome and Brutalia," He snarled, his eyes looking back and forth to the pair as they looked visibly fearful at his projection of power. "But you are useful to me, which is why I've tolerated your actions thus far. But this," He pointed a gloved hand at the ground planted Runt, retaining blood and dirt all across her small body, as he gestured right back up at Brutalia. "Is inexcusable! If you wish for payment, it will come, and it will be soon. Harming your comrades, however, is warranting of punishment."
"You...dare," Brutalia seethed, a blood red aura venting out of her body as she raised her voice into a shrill tone. "THREATEN ME-?!"
A sudden crack followed up with the red-black dressed woman thrown off her feet. A thick slab of ice, drilling into her chest threw her across the campsite, with everyone watching agape as she'd slam into a boulder hard enough to smash it into bits. Hacking up bile, the dirty blonde mage tried to right herself up, only to have a series of smaller fist sized balls of frozen water slam into her repeatedly; faster than she could even focus her magic upon.
After thirty seconds of unmitigated strikes, the barrage stopped and the woman fell to her hands and knees, spewing blood before weakly looking up at the pointed-hat outline of Robin's person. Her eyes looked to the stave as it lowered to his side in a tight gloved grip, before he turned his back to her and began to walk over towards Eris; with Brutalia rolling her eyes as she passed out from the pain.
"Does anyone else have a problem with how I run things?" Robin inquired, his cold gaze stretching around at the silent group of thieves that made up his band of Hoodlums.
Sighing, he looked to Bobbie, and spoke in a low whisper. The buxom woman nodded and began to strut over, having a quiet conversation with Handsome that brought the man's countenance to a look of fear and submission. Once she was done, she turned to walk over to Brutalia, picking her up by the scruff of her neck and dragging her across the ground in an undignified sprawl across the camp.
All the meanwhile, Eris had projected a healing light over Runt, while a disc of gold emanated behind her head.
"I-I'm sorry," She apologized, mostly to the small woman, and also the watching Generous Robin. "This is my fault. I tried to give comfort for someone who desired none. And when Runt tried to step in on my behalf, Brutalia beat her, to make herself feel better. I thought if I tried to stop her, that would cause division, and with someone as powerful as her I didn't know if I could-"
"Stop," Robin intoned, kneeling down to place a gloved hand on her shoulder. As her pink eyes rose to meet his, he smiled softly at her, if not sadly. "I understand. I appreciate your restraint but next time any of them are attacking each other, do step in. I won't blame you for what happens afterwards. Alright?"
"Y-Yes," She nodded with affirmation, grateful he was so kind to her despite feeling guilty for all of this.
"I've done some checking out," The effeminate ice holder mage announced to Eris, looking to Bobbie as she unceremoniously tossed Brutalia next to Runt. "I wager we have about two-thirds or half of the royal treasury of Fiore in our possession. Thanks to Bobbie I've also learned that, while some officials have been contacted, there aren't any signs of the Council sending in Rune Knights like we were expecting."
"So he lied after all," Bobbie intoned stonily.
"It would seem so," Robin smirked, twirling his stave around with a hand reaching up to brush past one of his cobalt jeweled earrings that dangled from his earlobes. "It makes no difference. They were all in pretty bad shape when we left them. And without a healer like Eris, it'll take some time for them to fully recover. It's unlikely they'll follow our trail before we're already exiting this land to the next one."
"To Minstral, then?" Eris inquired, her attention returning back to Runt as she turned her over to finish her healing on the small woman. "You do realize there's no kings for us to plunder their riches, right?"
"Patience, Eris, and you'll see what I'm aiming for in due time," He chided with toothy smile. "This is to help all of the unfortunate people of Ishgar held ransom by their monarchies. And with you and everyone else at my side, that dream of mine will be made into reality."
"Not everyone seems happy of being kept in the dark," The elf warned with a worried look on her face, looking over to Brutalia hesitantly before beginning to mend the wounds she sustained not but a few minutes ago. "Case and point..."
"It doesn't matter what the barbarians think," Robin shook his head, crossing his arms over his curvaceous chest. "As long as they tow the line, they could think the sky is the ground for all I care. This offense won't be repeated, though. If either of them step out of line again, they can fend for themselves and see how long they have that attitude of theirs with a larger bounty on their heads than they previously had."
"I just hope it doesn't come to that," The pink-haired enchanter confessed, biting her lower lip and closing her eyes as images of pain and blood filled her memory. "I don't want to be responsible for more suffering. I can't think of that right now."
"Well, once we leave this country, we won't have to worry about that," Robin told her with a smile. Standing upright, he walked to the center of the camp and declared aloud. "As for the rest of you, I know many of you are weary after such a long time without any reward, unlike in the past. But I assure you, once we rest for another couple of nights, we will leave this country behind and have the worth of our loot be accounted for. Everyone will be justly rewarded, in more ways than one. We're almost to the end and for that, you have my thanks, my Hoodlums."
A round of neutral applause was had. Yes, they were satiated by his usual charisma but there was no true vigor behind it. The events that happened here had left a foul taste in everyone's mouths.
How long could they stay united under promises without real prizes held in their hands?
Just a little longer, The Generous Robin thought, looking back at Crocus with a distant stare. And I'll free the people of their king cursed misery; once and for all!
Mercurius Castle, One Week After the Incident
A solid week had passed since the Robin Hoodlums assault on Mercurius Castle's treasury, and the group's surprising victory against Team Wendy of Fairy Tail. Wendy, in an effort to avoid straining herself and exhausting her magic, had allowed Doranbolt and Charle to heal naturally. Wendy had tried to heal them, even at her own expense.
"No!" Doranbolt had said firmly. "My wounds are deep; the first-aid you performed, and the work of the Healers, will be more than enough. Wendy, please, let yourself recover."
Heeding his words, Wendy had let her friends recover under the care of the Healers and their own bodies' hard work, showing up daily to keep an eye on them. Charle had remained unconscious for longer than Doranbolt; for all Wendy could tell, the shock of immense pressure and pain on such a small body had rendered her exceed comatose. This only added to Wendy's worry, despite the Healers assuring Wendy that Charle would wake up in time, they merely needed to tend to her wounds first.
So the time had passed, eating away at Wendy. Max, whose wounds were less substantial, recovered the quickest, only when Doranbolt was more-or-less good as new did Team Wendy mobilise again. Charle, however, remained unconscious. Wendy sat outside the ward, her hands wrung together. She'd already been inside to visit; Doranbolt was on the end of his mending period, but her companion Exceed still lay unconscious and attached to magical life support to keep her vital functions moving.
I couldn't protect Charle... Wendy knew that marinating in her own misery would do no good, but the thoughts ate away at her. Doranbolt is fine, keeps telling me that this isn't my fault...but I gave the orders and they listened to me. Max and Charle both...and Charle got hurt so badly because of it... Lost in her thoughts, the young Dragon Slayer didn't notice Max walking down the hall, easing his back against the wall next to her.
"How're ya doin'?" he asked quietly, arms folded as he cast the young girl an aside. Before the Tenrō Island incident, he'd never properly spoken to Wendy beyond the occasional greetings. She was still the newest member to Guild, and while everyone in Fairy Tail had quickly become attached to her — she was adorable, who could blame them? — it was Natsu's group that Wendy had become fast friends with. So even now, when she was hurting the way she was, Max didn't know how best to help her, and chose the only way he could: approach her as himself.
"I'm..." Wendy struggled to find the words. "I know you told me this wasn't my fault...but I gave you and Charle orders back then...you all followed me in that fight...and we lost horribly. You were injured...Charle is still unconscious...Doranbolt nearly died protecting us..." Wendy felt a firm hand gently place itself on her head. Turning, she saw Max crouch down until he was eye-level with Wendy; sharp black eyes met wide, brown ones.
"Wendy...all of us are Mages of Fairy Tail," Max said firmly. "We followed you on this mission, yes, but we did it for our Guild's pride. Doranbolt, Charle, and myself were more than aware of the risk that would accompany an S-rank mission, and we're still here. None of this is your fault, and you're being fantastically strong given what you're going through — what we're all going through." Max's smile brimmed with confidence and kindness, and Wendy's misery stifled in her throat. "Doranbolt didn't fight tooth and nail so you could regret it. He did it to protect you. There's no sense in beating yourself up over this; if you're a Mage of Fairy Tail, then hold your head high. Any scars we get or pain we suffer through are the proof we fought for Fairy Tail."
"...proof...that we fought for Fairy Tail..." Wendy repeated, her voice quiet. Would Charle be content with that? She didn't know...but she did know Max was right about the fact that everyone, herself included, had made their own choices. All four of them had chosen to fight for Fairy Tail. She rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand, stifling what felt like oncoming tears. Wendy knew she'd been crying too much lately. "Thanks, Max. I'm sorry...I've really been such a drag lat—ouch!"
Wendy raised both hands up to rub her head. Max had chopped her lightly on the skull, his face mischievously smiling through the scolding. "No more of that; I'm not going to stand for you putting yourself down, and I'm sure Charle would say the same, bossy as she is. You're doing fine, and don't let anyone, even yourself, tell you otherwise."
"R-Right," Wendy replied, still rubbing her head. In the end, she smiled anyway. "Thank you, Max." Then Wendy voiced a question she felt like she had to, from a junior to her senior. "But...aren't yo nervous? We're going to be chasing after really strong individuals." She remembered Grimoire Heart, Master Hades, and how difficult those battles had been. The scope was different, but she was so mentally unprepared for anything right now that these battles were just as challenging.
"Oh hell yes, I'm nervous," replied Max grimly. "We're going after some people who are crazy strong and don't give a crap about walking all over us. But if this were easy, it wasn't be S-rank, would it? Besides..." he scratched the back of his bowl cut sheepishly. "How would I look if I acted pathetic in front of someone small like you? I should at least act the part of a man, don't you think?"
Wendy giggled. It was a bit difficult to imagine Max acting like a man, though she was too polite to say it and even inwardly apologised for thinking it, and only nodded to the bemused man before her. "Let's go visit Doranbolt, Max."
Wendy and Max filed into the hospital wing, passing by Healers who were exiting at the same time as they entered. The beds were still full of Arcadios' men, though Arcadios himself was already fully healed. He attributed his recovery in confidence to Team Wendy as a result of the Jade Amulet he wore, a gift from Princess Hisui herself. It had powerful protective qualities, and lessened the damage he would normally take to less than half; in addition, simply wearing it sped up his recuperative powers. With Arcadios released, now back in the service of Her Highness, only Doranbolt and Charle remained as patients Wendy and Max recognised personally. Charle lay unconscious, still, a special Lacrima hovering over her body to keep her functions operating properly.
Doranbolt was sitting up, removing the bandages with the permission of the Head Healer. Seeing Wendy and Max enter the room, the young man offered his comrades a weak smile. "Good morning."
"Morning."
"I'm back, Doranbolt."
Max stepped in front of Wendy, walking over to Doranbolt. The former Rune Knight's face brimmed with a mixture of restrained hostility and confusion, evidently taking Max's sudden approach as an aggressive move. The two stared at each other in silence, and Wendy felt immediate worry, glancing back and forth at the both of them. As she was about to speak, Max extended a hand to Doranbolt. Doranbolt, surprised, looked from Max's hand to Max himself, confused.
"...We got off on the wrong foot when we started this mission, Doranbolt," Max said, his voice loud and clear. "I was suspicious of you at first, but I want to say it again, as I said it yesterday. You've...more than proven yourself as one of us. So officially...welcome to Fairy Tail."
The scarred man was stunned.
He had expected to be given a begrudging acceptance, or even more standoffish attitude towards him. But, in just a short amount of time, their actions in cooperating together had led the two down similar perils. He had thought the man indecisive and a bit of a coward who was guilted into acting on Wendy's behalf...but after seeing his wounds and how he's taken time after time to stand up to her when even he was at a loss for what to say...
Tears welled up in his eyes as a smile broke across his normally stoic mask of a face. Wiping his face with a sleeve, he stretched a hand out and gripped Max's hand firmly, shaking it as he looked more seriously at the man, despite feeling overwhelmed, "T-Thank you, Max. I am sorry for doubting you, as well but...you've more than proven that you really are a Mage of Fairy Tail."
Wendy didn't know how to process this. Were all boys like this? She didn't dare to think. Sighing, the little Dragon Slayer smiled with a slight weariness. "I'm happy for you two...please, continue to get along in the future."
Both men nodded at Wendy, breaking apart their handshake and smiling sheepishly at the girl's expression. It seemed they'd caused her some slight trouble. The awkward silence created by the newfound bond between Doranbolt and Mest was broken — almost mercifully — by one of the Royal Guardsmen, who entered the hospital wing to inform Team Wendy that, as the bulk of their team had now recovered, Princess Hisui was requesting an audience with them.
Wendy, Max, and Doranbolt exchanged glances. The trio had specifically been avoiding debriefing the Princess of the entire situation over the course of the week, having seen her only when they, and Arcadios' men had been taken to the Hospital Wing. Exclusing those brief sightings, the trio had been too embarrassed to even show their faces in front of Fiore's princess. It seemed, however, their time of hiding from her had come to an end, and she'd sent a messenger herself.
"We can't put it off much longer..." Max said sheepishly.
"I was still hoping there'd be a way to save face..." Doranbolt said.
"...Maybe she won't be too hard on us," Wendy suggested hopefully.
Mercurius Throne Room
Standing in front of Hisui, who sat upright on her father's throne, was a wholly different experience now than it had been merely a week ago. Doranbolt, Wendy, and Max were not only down a member, but completely and utterly expecting the beautiful princess to rebuke them harshly and dismiss them from her presence. The three stood in absolute silence before an equally taciturn Hisui, whose expression was unreadable to the nth degree.
"Your Majesty, we—" Max began, only to be silence when Hisui raised a hand.
"I'm glad to see you all have recovered," Hisui said, lowering her hand, and her face broke into a kind smile. "Were you all fearing my words?"
"I...but we failed, Your Majesty," Wendy stammered, Doranbolt and Max nodding along with her confusion. "They...they broke through to the treasury vault..."
"Yes, but I did not summon you to hold it against you," replied Hisui smoothly. "To be upfront, I would like to know if this setback has done anything to diminish your motivation? Will..." She frowned, unsure of how to ask a question. Years of being royalty had never put her in the position to ask for favours. "...do you still intend to undertake this task?"
Wendy was flabbergasted. Glancing at Max and Doranbolt, who shared looks of bewilderment, she knew she wasn't alone. They...weren't being punished? They weren't being sent back to Magnolia? She was going to let them try again?
"Y-Yes!" Wendy nodded firmly.
"The objectives have changed slightly, but our target remains the same," replied Doranbolt.
"Fairy Tail doesn't let itself get set back by something like this," chimed in Max.
The burning spirit of Fairy Tail! That's it! Hisui's thoughts were childlike and full of the sort of excitement a younger girl would have had. She and her father were big fans of Fairy Tail and their exploits — even if Fairy Tail's raucous nature had led to property damage on more than one occasion, it was only one of the many things that made them exciting. The young princess fought for her composure, however; inside, she was blissfully smiling, externally, she wore the veneer of Fiore's heir apparent. Clearing her throat, she continued.
"After a further investigation, we've determined that two-thirds of the contents within our treasury has been taken," Hisui explained. "Needless to say, this is a heavy blow. We can't be certain that the Robin Hoodlums will not return to our Castle for a second strike, yet I don't want to give them another chance. Yet..." She hesitated again. "I'm ashamed to say that, even with all of my resources, I have neither a method to find them, nor a plan to reattain our country's wealth."
It was Wendy's turn to smile. Stepping forward, at the head of her group, she pointed to her face — specifically her nose — in the same way Wendy. "Your Majesty, I'm a Dragon Slayer. The leader of the Robin Hoodlums has a very distinct scent; I still remember it, and I can sniff them out!"
Hisui didn't bother to hide her amazement this time, as it was couple with the prospect of regaining what had been stolen from herself and her father; thus, she allowed her face to light up. "Do you mean this, Wendy?"
"Yes," nodded the little Dragon Slayer emphatically. "And even more, I have a plan!" To Hisui's eager ears, Wendy explained the crucial details of her plans, details that Max and Doranbolt were familiar with, having been there when Wendy's first told them of the idea she'd concocted. Hisui listened attentively, nodded where it was appropriate, before settling both hands onto her lap.
"I approve of this plan," she replied, regaining some of her former dignity. "If it plays out as you suggest...it's very likely that it just might work."
"May we ask for your blessing then, Your Mastesty?" Doranbolt adopted a former manner, in spite of the Princess' continued attempts to keep everything at ease. Bending at the knee, the former Rune Knight bowed his head. "This is still a formal request Fairy Tail has undertaken at the request of the Royal Family: if you do not give us the go-ahead, we will have to return home."
A broader smile crossed Hisui's face; thrusting an arm forward, her bosom bouncing, she boldly declared, "You have the blessing of the Fiore Royal Family, Fairy Tail! Continue with your mission!"
"Yes!" came the three-pronged reply.
"As a reward for your determination and strong urge to save life," The Princess announced, gesturing to her side where the armored man - now clad in his uniform grey armor, to replace the damaged Lily suit - stepped forward with a stoic expression on his face. "My confidant has something to say to you."
"I have...misjudged you before, Fairy Tail," Arcadios began to say, his eyes closing as he spoke, his hands shaking at his sides. "When the unthinkably happened, I believed I could succeed where numerous kingdoms haven't. And for that foolishness, I had nearly gotten my men and I killed. Had it not been for you, there would have been many more lives taken not just of my squadron but of everyone in this castle. For that reason, I ask humbly," He bowed, his mop of hair remaining erect despite its bushy state, as he cried out without holding back. "That I may be given a chance, to fight at your side and repay the favor for this debt that weighs within me!"
An uneven sloshing of water filled the ears of a terrified observer. Their eyes filled with the shimmering blue of swirling waves, moving unnaturally for simple, flowing streams. It coalesced into a single shape, snaking its way forward. In a rush of motion, it impaled a small figure — thin bodied, sort, flowing blue hair — piercing her heart in seconds. The drilling torrent burst through the other side of the girl, blood mixing in with the liquid, letting her impaled body slip down further.
When the water vanished, the body of Wendy Marvell crashed unceremoniously to the ground, unmoving.
In a hospital bed, safe in a castle many miles away from where this vision had taken place, the Exceed Charle woke, shaking in fear. A quick look around told Charle everything she needed to know; whatever that horrible dream had been was not where she was now, but she also wasn't in the Mercurius Castle Treasury. "Where...what..." Placing a pawed hand to her large head, Charle tried to remember everything. The feeling of falling unconscious, preceded only by a jolt of pain so sharp and terrible that she literally could not bear it.
"It's fine, Charle," the soothing voice of the person most important to Charle filled her ears, relaxing the tension in her body. Wendy Marvell — mercifully whole and hale in Charle's eyes — was standing at her bedside, gently placing her arms around the Exceed in an embrace. "The battle ended a week ago...you've been here, in the Mercurius Castle Hospital Wing."
"A week...?" The Exceed felt confusion, and it showed visibly on her face. Another cursory glance around the bed she sat showed Lacrima which had floated around her, sustaining vital functions, but were now at rest. "Did we complete the mission, at least?" She desperately wanted to believe that dream was nothing more than a nightmare born of worry, rather than a bonafide vision. Her powers had always been unclear. Perhaps this meant nothing at all.
Wendy shook her head. "No...they got the better of us..." The young Dragon Slayer didn't want to admit that it was shortly after Charle got wounded, she'd been unable to focus on their battle, yet it seemed to show on her face. "But we're going to track them down today and correct that mistake! We'll do better this time!"
"I...see..." Charle forced a smile. "Right!" She tried to sit up, only for Wendy to gently sit her back down.
"Charle...please, for my sake, stay here and recover a little more?" Wendy was hurt to say it, and even more hurt to see the expression on her companion's face. It was beyond upset; it was rejection in a single look, and Wendy knew that outright telling Charle her concern would hurt her even more. However, is Wendy focused on protecting Charle, it would completely upend her entire plan, and she would sacrifice the mission to protect Charle if push came to shove.
Charle wanted to protest, but she part of her knew that the reason the first go-around with the Hoodlums had failed was because of her. If she accompanied them on this next mission...what if that vision came to pass because of her? Would she be responsible for Wendy's death because Wendy had to protect her? The vision of Wendy's crumpled body on the floor, a hole gaping wide where her torso had once been, caused Charle to shake in terror. She'd had visions before, but none quite showed her best friend in such a state.
"I..." Charle hesitated to form the words. "Alright, Wendy. I'll rest here...but please, be safe. Whoever you're fighting...there's something more to them than what they seem. I saw..." Charle couldn't outright say that what she saw was her best friend's corpse "...something...please be careful."
"I will!" Wendy nodded, hugging Charle tightly. "While you rest, Charle, we'll get this done and I'll come back safe to you!" Releasing her Exceed, Wendy turned away quickly, walking towards the door. She was shaking, but her face was hidden properly for her friend, and thus the stream of tears was known only to Wendy. She didn't want to part from Charle, even temporarily, but losing her best friend to these people was something she wouldn't be able to cope with right now. If I lose Charle, I don't know what I'd do...! I'm sorry, Charle...!
Exiting the castle, Wendy had stopped crying, though she was still rubbing her eyes. Doranbolt, Arcadios, and Max were waiting outside for her.
"...That wasn't easy, was it?" Doranbolt asked.
Wendy shook her head. "No...I want Charle to be with me. Ever since she hatched, we haven't been apart. But...I can't lose her to these people."
"We'll be back to her, Wendy," Doranbolt placed a hand on the younger woman's shoulders, gripping it tightly. "We just need to focus on the goal for now."
"Right!" Wendy nodded firmly. "Max, Doranbolt, let's set out!" In an effort to combat her misery, Wendy let out a ferocious cry, pumping her fist in the air. Max and Doranbolt rallied behind Wendy, and the group set off, Wendy at the lead. Following her nose, they were sure to find their quarry. Even with Charle's cryptic warning hanging overhead, Wendy put it in the back of her mind and ran forward. All that mattered was completing the mission and returning home safely.
A/N:
Demod20: This was an interesting chapter. I'm sure some people have rightly been siding against the Robin Hoodlums since we've introduced them. But, we wanted to show a different side to them from their perspective. Not all of them are bad, just misguided or mislead. Showing a softer side, and then cruel elements, helps give perspective that they aren't all cut from the same cloth. The Generous Robin himself continues to prove why he's in charge and that he doesn't tolerate infighting among his own cohorts; that and he knows better than to trust everything on face value. It'll be interesting to see how they change over the course of this Arc, much in the same way I'm liking how my co-author has tackled the development of our heroes ^^ Anyways, keep being safe and clean, and we'll see you in the next eventual update!
LastationLover5000: I had a lot of fun with this chapter. My counterpart's section with the Robin Hoodlums was a fantastic showcase of character, especially given what we've seen of Brutalia and Handsome. Both can be very composed...until things do not go their way. Two peas in a pod, and definitely the sort to watch out for. But the group has respectable people. Runt, and this mysterious Mirror, Eris, and the Generous Robin himself. Max has turned out to be an unforeseen gift a far as I am concerned. The guy was used mostly for a stupid gag in the original series, but given all we have are the lesser guild members to work with, we get to bring out their stronger traits, and Max, for whatever he is, is a loyal Fairy Tail mage. And now that he and Doranbolt have put aside their differences, we can see some real shit now. Meanwhile, though, Charle had a terrifying vision, but has also been left behind by Wendy for her own safety. It's going to be an interesting few chapters! We'll see you soon!