The Blades and The Gauntlets [Vi x fem!oc]

Chapter XV: The Old Friends

Before Mila could even react, the cloth that had once blinded her was suddenly jerked down over her mouth, stifling any chance of a cry. In the same breath, her hands were swiftly bound, the rough grip biting. A heartbeat later, a coarse leather bag plunged her into darkness, smothering her sight.

Her breath quickened as the rough hands yanked her forward, her body now slumped against a cold, brick wall. Her heart pounded in her chest as she strained to make sense of her surroundings. The leather bag over her head stifled her senses, making it difficult to breathe, and the cloth gag muffled any sound she might make.

"Are you two okay?" Vi's voice cut through the silence, trembling yet free. She was just as trapped, slumped next to Mila, but her mouth remained free.

She couldn't respond, the cloth biting into the corners of her lips. She could hear Caitlyn nearby, grunting and fighting against her restraints. The pounding in her chest intensified, her pulse racing with each shallow breath. Her mind scrambled for something - anything - that could help them figure out who was responsible for this.

She cursed herself for letting her guard down, once again. And Caitlyn between them was of no help - her frustrated grunts and failed attempts to free herself were proof of that.

"I knew it was a mistake trusting you!" Her voice, sharp and furious, echoed around the dark room. The accusation hung in the air, and Mila's teeth clenched beneath the gag.

Her mind filled with frustration, and though she couldn't see through the leather hood, she rolled her eyes at Caitlyn's outburst. The enforcer was supposed to be the muscle, the one to rely on in situations like this, but she was proving to be more of a liability than anything else.

Mila wanted to shout, but the gag kept her silent. She tried anyway, hoping her muffled voice would get through. "Mmmph." she grunted, but the noise was weak and incoherent. The frustration bubbled inside her, a hot knot in her chest.

"You've been a real picnic yourself." Vi answered, as calmly as she could.

"I'm not the one who walked us into, not one, but two of Silco's traps." The taller girl spoke between grunts, still shifting around and trying to remove whatever was keeping her hands tied.

Mila clenched her fists, the rope digging painfully into her wrists. She wanted to scream at her to shut up and focus, but all she could manage was another weak, muffled sound through the gag. "Mmh."

"This is not Silco, it's someone else." Vi answered, finally echoing Mila's thoughts. If it was Silco, they would have been dead by now.

"How do you know?"

The blonde girl wished Caitlyn could see her expression, it would perhaps make her think before she spoke. If this was any of Silco's doing, they wouldn't be able to say any of this to each other. For a moment, Mila wondered what was the point of not letting her speak, but allowing the rest of the group to do so.

"'Cause we'd already be dead."

"Oh, very nice!" Caitlyn's voice was sharp, suspicious, echoing through the darkness. "When were you planning to tell me that your lunatic sister works for him? Did you know about this, Mila?"

But her friend couldn't answer, even if she had the words to.

Vi tensed at Caitlyn's accusation, her jaw tightening as she tried to maintain her composure. She had been expecting this to come up at some point - just not here, and not now - and how would she even be able to know? If the prison hadn't been so far away, so protected, she would have been able to save her sister from him, to shield her, to tell her it wasn't her fault.