Work Text:
Padma sat in her chair eyeing the plans she made. If she failed, she didn’t want to know what would happen. Her task wasn't necessarily high risk if she followed the plan but messing up could put her and others in grave danger. It was hard not to stress when a small slip up could ruin you forever, though she still continued. Taking sips of water Padma made sure to not lose track of time as at 2:30am her mission would start.
She wasn’t allowed many weapons being under 18 and all. Her carers gave her a metal staff embedded with artificial magic to keep her at least a little safe in the world. The time was ticking closer and closer and closer. Taking a final sip of water paired with a deep breath she stretched off of the chair and got changed, picking an outfit that fitted this occasion. Her outfit consisted of cargo pants, a black shirt, and a leather jacket paired with black boots. She had a black leather belt to match, accompanied by a small lock pick, a flashlight, gadgets and a slot for her staff. Grabbing her plan in a tight grasp as she waited on the porch. It was not long before a sleek black car rolled into the driveway.
It wasn't too long a drive but they arrived around 3, the time they switched guards meaning there was a chance of slipping past them. Padma thanked the driver and made her way to the main building, slipping inside before the guard came back. Such a poor security system Padma thought as she walked through the shadows of an empty building. She stared in awe at the paintings hung on the wall, telling the history of their land. One picture particularly caught her glance. The old painting had a monarch on it. In it the young monarch seemed to be leading his people to a new land. She had been told that many years ago someone founded the land but not that they were already a ruler with followers. Padma could have gotten lost in these halls, purely because of the enchanting imagery it held.
Abruptly she turned her head away to regain focus, she needed to get this mission done…and it needed to be done right. Finding the room from her mission plan she slowly opened the door attempting to minimise the creaking then shut the door behind her. Using the flashlight she found the small tunnel leading to the next location.
Hurrying through the tunnel, making up for lost time she found herself in the basement area. It was huge. The walls were embedded in patterns and old stories. Admiring the words for a moment she heard a snapping sound followed by talking nearby. The voices were unfamiliar. It was a woman talking to others about the new year. Padma got closer and closer to the door though stupidly bumping a shelf dropping an old and dusty vase shattering it immediately. The voices stopped. She heard footsteps and ran to the corner using the staff to conceal herself. The woman had blond hair and a flowy outfit while being accompanied by two others who looked like generals. She watched as the woman looked around before retreating to the tunnel in which Padma had entered the basement.
Going straight to the room the woman had left she found exactly what she came for sitting in the middle of the room. It was a carved swan made from real magic wielding way more power than her crappy little staff. Though the swan wasn't for her. Pausing for just a moment she felt the floor shake then another snap. Just then something hit her head. It was a piece of cement from the roof. She slipped the swan into a pocket on her belt and ran toward the tunnel. Light dust touched her head, right before a couple pieces of rock. Panic surged through her as she fumbled for the exit, another piece of roof throwing her off, toppling her over. Before she even had time to think, another piece of debris hit her leg. She heard her bones get crushed, wincing at the pain, keeping the tears that dared to prick her eyes. Holding in a scream she looked down and tried to lift the section of the roof.
As she tried, she saw red blood seeping across the floor. It slowly creeped toward her. She could see herself in the reflection, tears rolling down the side of her face. It was warm and thick. Trying not to look she used her staff to lift it up more easily but it didn’t work. The rock was way too heavy. Instead she used the staff to rip her leg off. The magic she cast acted as a sort of drug to relieve the pain though it wasn’t that simple. The searing pain resembled that of a knife sinking through her skin. She looked to her side only to see deep red specks splattering onto the floor, making her feel sick. Feeling light headed she sat still for a moment hoping that this was all a dream. It didn’t last long though. Rock fell near her bringing her back to reality.
Using the staff as a second leg to help her walk, Padma made her way toward the tunnel in the big room as more pieces dropped from the ceiling, she could feel dirt falling onto her head. Her crumbling surroundings caused Padma to rush even more. She was worried that the tunnel would collapse in on itself just like the basement or that a piece would block the way out. The doorway that led to the swan room was completely covered in cement and dirt, and if she didn’t leave now she would die and no one would find her. It was a horrible thought that she couldn't shake off. There was no way she wanted to die this young.
To no one's surprise the tunnel was gone. As if it was just some patch the builders didn’t fix. She tried to use the staff hoping it would make a spell or anything to repair the tunnel. It made a pile of non compressed dirt move into the room which helped in some way but it wasn’t enough. This process would take too long to do throughout the whole tunnel. Then an idea struck. She wasn't certain if it was the right thing however, Padma was convinced that she could use the swan and escape without anyone ever noticing. Tightening her grasp on the swan she almost successfully cleared out the tunnel though the once white swan turned to somewhat of a light grey. Trying not to dwell on it Padma began to go through the dirty tunnel as fast as possible using the staff to support her.
Followed by a scattered trail of blood she returned to the room and sat on the floor, tying a knot in her pants to prevent further bleeding. She carried along through the hallways, sticking to the shadows catching a glimpse of the clock. It was now 4am. Right on time she thought to herself. Only problem now was getting out the door unnoticed by the guards that roamed. Padma stood to the side listening through the door to hear if anyone was on the other side. Once she ensured the coast was clear she slipped out into the early morning air and hurried towards the car.