Annihilation

Reunited

We looked up toward the roof of the building, lined with men dressed in all black who aimed their weapons at us. There was a commotion from inside the store, the stomping of feet as several others made their way downstairs, bursting from the door with their guns pointed as they encircled us.

"I won't say it again, drop your weapons." The same voice called out, the door creaking open one more time as the commander emerged. I set down my machete and the gun I'd pulled from the holster on my hip, looking around at the others with a silent request that they do the same.

Yoongi hesitated but finally released his gun, the piece toppling to the asphalt with the rest of our weapons.

"Good, now that I know you can listen, put your hands up, take a step back, and lay on the ground." The man stepped through the circle of those armed, his brown hair tousled into perfect waves that fell to his shoulders.

We did as he said, little choice as we looked down the barrels of their rifles. The pavement was cool against my cheek, five of the people from behind us stepping into the circle, patting us down for more weapons, and sifting through our bags. There was the pull of a zip tie that bound my wrists together, the person who'd been feeling me up a little too much for comfort lifting me back to my feet.

It felt as though my heart dropped into my stomach when I lost all sight, a black covering pulled over my head. Someone tugged at my arm, starting to lead me, my steps messy with being unable to see.

"Are you there?" Namjoon spoke in Korean, his voice distinctive among the patter of footsteps around us. 

"Here." We called back in unison. I picked up on each of our voices, thankful that wherever they were taking us, it seemed to be together.

From the front of the line the same commander's voice sounded, his tone strict as something slammed against a body, Namjoon grunting with the strike. "No talking."

I counted six hundred and twenty-three steps before we made a left turn, taking one hundred and fourteen more before the doors to a building opened, shoes clicking against the hard marble flooring as we entered.

"On your knees." The commander's voice echoed in the mostly empty room. The person walking alongside me pushed me to my knees forcefully, jerking the hood that covered my face with a slight pull of my hair.

I blinked, adjusting to the bright ballroom, lit with lanterns that lined the wall. We were spread in a line with me in the center, kneeled in front of a platform that held a gold throne, fit for royalty. Namjoon appeared as his usual calm, collected self, Yoongi with a flat, intimidating gaze, Jin with concern as he looked down the line to check on us from his position, and Jimin with a fear in his eyes that I'd never seen before.

The doors opened again and I watched as every person in the room turned to face whoever entered, dropping to a knee.

"Rise, my subjects." The person's voice reminded me of Namjoon's in a way, personable but with enough authority to be identified as a leader. Unlike the man who brought us in, he saw no need to speak with aggression.

We were smart enough to know we weren't a part of his subjects, remaining still while everyone else in the room rose to their feet. He climbed the two steps onto the platform, taking a seat on the throne. He was dressed in a crisp black pair of pants and clean white blouse, his dark hair tugged into a loose bun at the base of his neck, each strand tucked perfectly into place. I watched his eyes move down the line, taking in each of us before addressing the man who'd been commanding our every move.

"Emmanuel, please tell me why our guests are bound." He raised an inquisitive brow.

Emmanuel stepped forward, his hands clasped behind his back as he replied. "They entered from the main road and were heavily armed."

The man stood, every eye in the room following him. "Release their hands." He held up one of his own with his demand, the same individuals who led us to the room pulling knives from their pockets, slicing through the tight plastic. "I must apologize. Emmanuel here can be overly enthusiastic when it comes to protection. My name is Gideon, allow me to welcome you to Carolus." He opened his arms with his greeting.

I was expecting Namjoon to respond, but we remained quiet, Gideon's mouth spreading into a friendly smile as he looked down at me. "I wish you all would have let me know there was a woman with the group. Titus, fetch the queen from her study and we'll get started with assignments." The man next to Emmanuel gave a small bow, scurrying from the building in a hurry. "I hope we can all get to know each other and cooperate so that we can invite you into our home."

He seemed reasonable enough but I was off put by his easy charm. The doors opened again a few minutes later, the room turning and sinking into the same position they'd taken when Gideon entered the room.

"On your feet." Her voice rang out.

I'd know that voice anywhere. As she came into view, guided by Titus's hand while she began climbing the steps to join Gideon I breathed her name, my best friend hidden underneath the soft velvet of a medieval looking dress, lined in gold and something that before, she wouldn't have been caught dead in.

"Shelby."

As soon as her name left my lips she paused in her step, turning to face me, soft brown curls bouncing at her shoulders. Her gentle, umber eyes widened and she beamed as she descended the steps, pulling me to my feet in an embrace.

"I can't believe you're actually here, Lena." She breathed, tears in her eyes as she squeezed me tightly. She held onto my hand, turning back around to face Gideon.

"Alena," he said my name like he knew me familiarly, stepping down and holding out a hand, grabbing mine lightly, "Shelby has spoken highly of you."

I dropped his hand, turning back to bring attention to the four men, my four men who were still on their knees. Shelby noticed, waving her hands up and down. "Are these your friends? Please stand." She ordered, securing one hand in mine.

Namjoon bowed to her, his eyes full of relief, though I noticed the others didn't seem at ease. Neither did I, aware of the way each of them still had someone by their side, keeping a watchful eye. "We've heard a lot about you as well." He greeted her.

"This has made my night. I'm so excited to get to know you all, but let's keep things moving. We should get you cleaned up and then we can catch up. There's so much to talk about!" Her high-pitched excitement rang through the room, her steps quick as she started to lead me out of the building.

"Wait, where are we going? I can't leave them." I attempted to stall her movements but she didn't stop, Titus accompanying us through the doors.

I remembered Shelby as kind, friendly from the very moment I met her, but this was another level of cheer. I tried to attribute it to being reunited, but something still felt off, with her and this entire place.

"Don't worry. I always handle assignments for women. I'll probably put you as my new assistant to start so we can be together all the time. Gideon will check in on their skills and give them a place within the community." She assured me. I paid attention to how far we'd gotten from the building, coming to a large, two-story house where a man stood outside, bowing and opening the door for us as we entered.

"Shelby, I need to go back to them." I tugged my arm away from her harshly, stopping at the bottom of a grand staircase.

The smile never left her lips. "Alena, they're perfectly safe here, I promise. We have an order to things. They're probably already having showers and getting cleaned up. Gideon will speak to each of them and they'll be assigned a living space. We'll do a tour in the morning when there's better light and I'll make sure you see them then." She pulled me in for another hug. "Another one can't hurt since my dress is already dirty. I've missed you."

As much as my gut was telling me something was wrong and as weird as it was to see her in this odd garb, her joy over the top, it was Shelby. I wrapped my arms around her, crediting my skepticism to everything I'd been through since it all started and letting myself feel the delight of having my best friend back.