Walking with adrenaline-filled haste, the four men made great time through the winding corridors and passages beneath Franklin's mansion.
"I'm been looking forward to this." Franklin muttered, his muscles not enjoying the departure from his normal exercise routine: occupying his favorite chair in the computer room.
"Remember that we can't kill her." Lupin interjected. There was audible grumbling from both of the Pierce brothers, but they nodded their heads in assent.
"Doesn't mean we can't take off a limb or two." Nathan laughed, Sirius trying to hold back his gruff laugh as Lupin shot them a dirty look.
"As you wish." The younger Pierce reassured the former Hogwarts instructor, Franklin's security monitor showing their four assailants were nearly on top of the ambush party.
"Just ahead there's a fork. On both paths is a latch. If you press the green button, it'll slide away and give us a perfect position to surprise them from the left and right side."
"And how are we coordinating this? As much as I'd love to give them all a thorough lesson in stunning spells, I'm sure Lupin would object." A normal man might have balked at facing Death Eaters at 2-1 odds…but Sirius had clashed wands with enough dark wizards to know when the odds could be overcome.
"I think they'd hear us yelling…so use the interface next to the switch. It'll allow you to see us on the other side." The matter resolved, the group split; Nathan and Franklin heading to the left while Sirius and Lupin took the right path.
In comfortable silence, the two brothers ate the distance quickly with their long strides, waiting patiently for their fellow ambushers to communicate via the intercom.
"I know we can't kill Marie…but I don't have any obligation to save the rest of them, do I?" Franklin inquired, drawing his wand and using it to scratch an itch above his right eye.
"I certainly have no urge to dissuade you from ending as many of the Death Eater's lives as you can. Just don't get carried away." Nathan answered, inwardly remarking how different his life was now when compared to his days with the ministry.
A chirp announced the arrival of Sirius and Remus at their hub, wands drawn in the picture the two Pierce brothers could see.
"Ready?" inquired Nathan, voice thick with boredom.
"On 3.…" Remus answered….the countdown commencing…
"3.…2.…1.…" Hitting the command button, Nathan waited for the fake grass to slide away….but it didn't. Keeping himself calm, Nathan pressed the button again…and again…and again…panic beginning to show as he slammed his finger into the console.
"What the hell is wrong with this…" The swearing flew faster than hawks as Franklin forced his way through, using his security monitor to hack into the interface virtually. With the sounds of curses and spells funneling down to them, Nathan cursed Sirius for not waiting and Franklin for his malfunctioning technology. With a satisfying click, the panel slid out of the way, Nathan barreling up the hatch and assessing the situation. The blonde was already laying face down in the grass, face obscured as she lay motionless. Nathan saw the larger woman was still battling, though her hair was obviously scorched and her clothes bore several holes from near misses. Looking for their main target, Nathan saw his ex-love interest fleeing, her retreat covered by the bulking man who was currently being chased down by Sirius. Nathan made to blindside the dark complexioned Death Eater, but as he made to cast the spell a shout from Lupin grabbed his attention.
"I'll finish this, get to Marie!" Trusting in Lupin's skills, Nathan took off in a mad dash after the fleeing brunette, Franklin immerging to find the battle all but seemingly over. Turning to watch his brother's sprinting form, Franklin suddenly felt the world spinning. Noticing his view had changed from Nathan to the star-lit sky, the wizard saw the appearing images of five more Death Eaters.
"Oh crap." The wizard cursed, unconsciousness sweeping over him.
Sirius' spell connected with the forehead of his enemy, the dark wizard falling to his knees before a second spell knocked him flat on his back. An audible thud brought Sirius' attention back to the battle behind him; forgetting about his defeated enemy and turning to see the statistics of the fight had changed dramatically. Five more adversaries had joined the battle, Lupin landing a spell behind his back that connected cleanly with the rib-cage of his ebony skinned opponent. Watching her fall like a demolished wall, Sirius was nearly hit by Nathan's feet as the former Auror leaped over him. Grabbing him by the collar, Sirius pulled his friend around to face him.
"What about Remus?" Black yelled over the sounds of clashing spells and shouting. Nathan, looking from the retreating figure of their query to the sight of Lupin ducking behind gargoyles and stone statues, knew the decision before his body started moving.
"Himslock!" Nathan called, chasing towards Lupin with Sirius at his heels. The small house elf "popped" in front of the former Auror, floating effortlessly in mid-air.
"Is there a problem with the plan?"
"Yes! How did five extra Death Eaters get past security?" He shouted, anger boiling over as he heard Marie cackling before she disappeared; their opportunity lost to stop one of the most dangerous enemies to the revived Order of the Phoenix. To add to his fury , the house elf shrugged.
"Well turn the defenses back on!" Ducking underneath a bright beam of red light, Nathan threw himself into a roll, taking cover behind a toppled statue.
"I would certainly like to, but Master said they were to be turned off."
"Well your master is currently laying in the grass unconscious. Turn them on!" Nathan thought about choking Himslock…but there would be time for that once their lives were safe again.
"I'm sorry Midget, but I can't go against Master Franklin's orders." Watching the house elf disappear only moments before a spell would have reduced him to ashes, Nathan peeked out from his cover, getting a location on Remus before showering spells on their scattering enemies. Sirius let out a fierce battle cry, sliding from statue to statue as the Death Eaters tried, in vain, to reach the motionless Franklin; Black dropping one of the five death eaters with a stunning spell to the side of the head. Leaping from his concealment, Nathan charged into the fray, wand slashing and cutting as the Death Eaters were momentarily forced to find cover.
"We've got to get out of here…" Remus said, mostly to himself. Sirius slid past him, his face covered in a fierce smile; as if the former prisoner was back, finally, in his true element.