Nathan cursed under his breath as he pushed his way through the mayhem, deflecting incoming assaults and dodging stray missiles as the wizard tried desperately to reach his fallen brother.
Two Death Eaters flanked to the side, wands slashing savagely as Sirius matched them stroke for stroke.
Remus saw an opening and made a mad dash for Franklin, but in horror he realized he'd never make it in time. Locking eyes with a short, petite Death Eater, the former instructor whipped his wand in a tight circle, wrapping a dark chain around her body and flinging her to the side before she could grab the defenseless Franklin and disapparate. Before he could close in further, a dark green light forced Lupin to throw himself to the side, landing awkwardly and knocking the wind out of him.
One of the Death Eaters disengaged from Nathan, turning and throwing spells with reckless abandon as the other dark robed assailant continued to match their opponent spell for spell. Clutching Franklin's robes in a gloved fist, a dark stream of smoke trailed the disappearance of the former Auror's motionless brother.
"NO!" Nathan roared, wand strokes falling like hammer strikes as he forced his adversary to the ground, the Death Eater barely able to hold back the onslaught before a sudden wrist flick drew a line of fire across the dark wizard's chest. Blood flowed cleanly from the wound, the victim seizing for a few moments as shock set in. Leaving him, Nathan saw Lupin regain his feet against his opponent, rebounding a spell on its caster and sending the Death Eater flying into a statue, bouncing off like a rubber ball and rendering the invader limp.
Finding Sirius, the enraged Nathan was almost disappointed to see his longtime friend strike down one then the other, finely honed wand thrusts collapsing them to their knees before a wide slash sent them reeling, heads twisting wickedly before their faces connected solidly with the ground. Looking back at the carnage, the three wizards couldn't help but feel their efforts were for naught.
"They've probably already taken him to the Dark Lord…there's no telling how long he'll be able to resist."
"We can't know that for sure." Lupin wanted badly to believe that Nathan's kinsman had some hope of survival, but the odds were grim and would get worse with every passing moment. The look in the younger Pierce's eyes was dangerous, his look a mix of determination and grim hatred.
"There's still a chance we can rescue him. We'll raise the order and…"
"Sirius, you know as well as I do that we can't risk the entire order to save one man, no matter how important." Lupin hated being the voice of reason in this case. He wanted as bad as his two companions to rescue Franklin and return him to safety, but an assault on a Death Eater stronghold could cost lives the order didn't have to spare…and every life was that of a dear friend…
"You're right Remus." The words burned in Nathan's throat, but he had been trained to recognize the statistics, and he couldn't ignore training that was as deep in him as the first spells of Hogwarts. Sirius stared in disbelief at the former Auror, wondering if Nathan would really go against his own heart to leave his brother to the Dark Lord. Looking into the eyes of his long time friend, Sirius saw a flash of weakness, a decision being made in Nathan's soul that threatened to break him. As quickly as he saw it, the look was gone and the smirk had returned to the new Order member's gruff face.
"We need to return to Headquarters, if they have Franklin, it won't be long until they break him and we need to alert everyone. Agreed?" A quick nod of assent from Sirius and Lupin and Nathan prepared to apparate…
The familiar view of Number 12 Grimauld Place came into place, as grim as ever as Lupin turned to Sirius, a look of frantic concern on his worn face.
"Where's Nathan?"
The inside of the house was lit by torch, flickering flames showing the dark hallway. The spell that linked Nathan and Marie had caused this catastrophe, and now it would solve in its resolution. As the lanky wizard crept silently, he found the stronghold relatively unguarded. If this was another trap, Nathan wondered if he could escape again….if his luck would finally run out in this dreary place. Working with all his effort to keep a footstep from echoing, the former Auror peeked testingly around a corner, wand held at the ready as the sound of hushed whispers conversed just out of earshot.
Cursing his poor hearing, Nathan tapped his ear and performed a half-hazard supersensory charm; hoping the whispers would stay low; a loud shout might rupture his ear drum.
"We're going to learn the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix…how much pain it takes depends entirely on you. I think we all would much rather you just tell us where to go, and we'll make sure it ends quickly." Marie's voice was like sandpaper to Nathan's mind, a reminder of happy days that would never come again, and of dark days not long enough ago forgotten.
"I would very much like to avoid that pain as well, but it seems we have a slight problem. You want something I can't give you." Franklin's tone was casual, the same as if the two were discussing a difference in opinion on Quidditch teams.
"Oh really? And why is that?"
"As dim as you are, I thought you would know that only the secret-keeper can divulge such information. As much as it stings my heart, the Order never blessed me with that honor." Nathan could sense the frustration growing in Marie; her breathing becoming heavier as she tried to remain calm.
"You must think I'm an idiot….I KNOW you can't tell me where it is. BUT, you can tell us where your brother was. "
"The Fidelius Charm isn't some spell to keep your diary safe. Even if I told you where my brother was, and you were standing right in front of the exact coordinates, you couldn't find the Phoenix headquarters for a thousand years. I have nothing useful to tell you, so, if you'll be so kind, what exactly do you expect to accomplish from torturing little old me?" Nathan had to stifle a laugh. Even in this tense situation, threatened with torture until madness or death, his brother was still condescending and witty.
"I don't have to tell you anything…I could inflict the Cruciatus curse just for the fun of it; until you broke and spilled your guts or descended into lunacy. But, it isn't just the location of the Order we want. You have names; and sometimes a simple little thing like a name can be worth so much. You can divulge the order members, their families, their allies, and, if we know a general location, we can wait for the Order to slip up; give themselves away and allow us to eradicate them once and for all, in homage to the Dark Lord. Does THAT satisfy your intellectual curiosity?" It was the sanity in Marie's voice; the concentrated focus that was unsettling… this wasn't the work of an escapee from 's, but methodical execution by a dark witch willing to do anything to please Voldemort.
"As much as it pains me to say this, you have a point. So, my only options are to spill my guts and get a quick death or be tortured until madness?" Part of Nathan cringed. His brother was, by most standards, a good and respectable man, but even the most hardened of people could crack when their lives were threatened.
"To put it simply. " Although he couldn't see it, poised as he was around the sharp corner, Nathan could almost feel the smile creeping over his former love's face.
"Well, do you have a quill?" Nathan's heart sank as his brother's betrayal struck deep, anger and sadness conflicting within him before logic softened the blow. His brother couldn't be held responsible for wanting to avoid the unspeakable pain of the Cruciatus curse for an Order he had never volunteered for. He had never signed on to be a soldier, and Nathan could not logically expect him to endure what even the most hardened could be broken by. At least if he volunteered information, he could omit key facts.
A cold hand seized Nathan's heart, realizing that the only future for his brother was a slow death and torture. Once Franklin told them all he knew, they would torture him for more until he broke. This situation swam in Nathan's mind, the twists and turns of logic and emotion wrestling to dictate the actions of his poised body.
"Tell us everything, or we'll be forced to…"
"Yes yes I know. Torture and pain, blah blah blah." The annoyance in Franklin's voice, the arrogance, almost tempted Marie to curse the intellectual just to put humility into his voice, but this was no time to give in to the conflicting voices in her mind. It was time to get answers to bring before Voldemort.
"Ready." She snarled, Franklin pointedly clearing his throat as the assembled Death Eaters; some marred and still weakened by the battle at the manor, waited expectantly for his valuable information.
"One of the order members, whom I hear you are rather familiar with, is Crazy Whore; C-R-A." The red flash from the Cruciatus Curse put the torches that lined the walls to shame, Franklin's screams forcing Nathan to his knees, writhing in agony before the torture ended, the brief few seconds enough to transmit Marie's message to the captured Pierce.
"The next time you decide to make a fool of me, remember that pain. Remember that I can keep that going for hours…" Her voice trailed off dangerously, and the briefest whimper escaped her victim's mouth.
"No one is coming to save you, you pompous ass. No one cares enough about you to even attempt a rescue. Your brother could have tracked us down if he wanted, he can feel where we are right now…but he won't come, because he doesn't give a damn about you. Or anyone but himself." The bitterness flowed into every syllable, the loathing and harshness.
"My brother did everything he could for me. I love him, and that's all that matters."
Nathan steeled his heart, taking a deep breath as he decided what he must do..the only thing he could do for his doomed brother.
Stepping from behind the corner, Nathan's shadow fell across the walls; snapping the Death Eater's attention to the dangerous figure.
"I love you too Brother…..Avada Kedavra!" The Death Eaters flung themselves out of the frighteningly bright jet of green light; but their motions were wasted. The curse hit its intended mark…and so passed the reclusive genius, Franklin Derek Pierce…