Akko blinked open her eyes, her head throbbing. It took her eyes a moment to adjust to the darkness, but when they did, up ahead she saw bars. She crawled over to the bars, grabbing them and weakly pulling herself up to look outside.

She could barely make out cells on the other side of the room, to the left, and to the right. The room was circular, and it was full of cells, stacked up on top of each other. She recognized the faces in the cells- they were students! They held the bars and looked out, fear in their eyes.

In the middle of the room was a stone throne, and there sat a woman dressed in all black. She was beautiful, but Akko knew who it was. It was Black Banshee.

"Akko!" A whimper from behind came. Akko turned her head to see Lotte and Sucy stirring. Their eyes were glazed over, and Lotte rubbed her head.

"Lotte! Sucy!" Akko said. She crawled back over to them, and Lotte stared at her.

"Where are we?" Lotte asked, her voice shaky. She almost fell over when she sat up, and Akko caught her.

"I think we're in some sort of dungeon," Akko answered. Sucy headed toward the bars, grabbing them.

"We're in cells," she noted. Lotte looked over.

"What?!" She asked. She crawled over to the bars too, grabbing them and shaking them, trying to get free.

"That's not gonna work," Sucy told her. Lotte let out a whimper and let her head fall.

"Akko?!" Someone yelled. Akko's head shot up. She recognized that voice anywhere.

"Amanda!" Akko put her face to the bars and reached out. She could barely make out Amanda's hand in the cell next to her. Akko's heart raced. Was she hurt? "Are you okay?" Akko asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Are you?" Amanda questioned. "If you aren't, I won't let them forget it."

"My head hurts, but I'm okay." Akko responded. Amanda sighed heavily.

"Hey Jas, Constanze, you two okay?" Amanda asked. Akko could hear two murmurs of affirmation. "Okay, good." Amanda said.

"What are we going to do?" Lotte asked sadly. Akko looked at Sucy, who shrugged her shoulders.

"Girls?" Another voice came. It was to the right of Akko this time, and she immediately recognized the voice.

"Pratibha?" Akko asked. She could hear people shuffling around in the other cell.

"Yes, it is me, Akko," Pratibha responded. "Nkiruka. Natalie, are you two okay?"

"I-I'm fine, just shaken," Nkiruka responded. There was a small whimper after that, and Akko recognized Natalie's voice.

"I-I'm okay..." Natalie's voice was barely audible. Pratibha drew in a deep breath.

"Thank goodness," she breathed. Natalie crawled up to Pratibha and hugged her tightly, and Pratibha returned the hug.

"Hey, lady!" Amanda snapped, pressing her face up against the bars. Akko looked over to see Black Banshee turn her head in Amanda's direction. Amanda continued. "What are you gonna do to us? Keep us here until we rot?"

Akko could barely make out a smile cross over Black Banshee's lipsticked lips in the dim light. "Foolish girl," she hissed, her eyes shining sadistically. "Keeping you all here for so long would just be boring. No, I'll do something so bad to you, so painful that you wish you were dead."

"You wouldn't dare!" Amanda hissed. Black Banshee let out a laugh.

"You underestimate me, little girl." She responded. "I've taken your magic, so now there's nothing you can do to stop me."

"Damn you!" Amanda snapped. Black Banshee just narrowed her eyes, her smile widening.

"Now you realize how worthless and insignificant you are without your magic. You are completely helpless." Black Banshee let out a loud laugh that echoed throughout the dungeon. She watched as girls desperately clawed at the bars, trying to free themselves. "How pitiful!"

The beautiful witch stood up, heading toward the entrance of the room. "I'll be back. While I'm gone, I'll think just of what I'll do to you. Don't go anywhere... not like you can." She let out one loud laugh before exiting the room.

Some of the girls started to cry, fearing for their lives. They hugged each other, outstretching their arms past the bars, begging for help.

Amanda kicked the wall angrily. "Dammit!" She hissed. Akko wanted so bad to reach over and hug her, to let her know it would be okay, but the walls and bars kept her from doing just that.

Akko looked at all the girls. Her eyes had adjusted to the dim light, and she could make out their faces. Her eyes scanned them, and then she noticed someone. It was Diana.

Her blue eyes were dull as she sat next to Hanna and Barbara, who looked just as defeated as she did. Akko felt a pang of sympathy. Diana was always level headed, and she never gave up, but now she looked hopeless. Akko finally realized the gravity of their situation. They were going to die.

"Koohara? Where's Koohara?!" Pratibha wailed.

"Koohara's gone?" Lotte asked, sitting near the wall. They could hear Pratibha cry.

"I don't know where she is! What if she's dead?!" Pratibha sobbed. Sucy cracked a small smile.

"Maybe this lady made a small rug out of her," Sucy murmured.

"Sucy!" Lotte scolded.

"That's not good, that's not good at all," Nkiruka said, panic in her voice.

Pratibha pulled at her hair and cried, and Natalie crawled over and gently hugged her. Pratibha calmed down a bit, feeling warm in Natalie's arms, but the fear of losing Koohara still made her shake.

Constanze shuffled around too, making small noises. She didn't show it, but panic was flaring up inside of her.

"Is Erich gone?" Jasminka asked gently. Constanze nodded, and Jasminka and Amanda exchanged worries glances.

"We gotta find a way out of here," Akko said. She stuck her face against the bars and looked around. Black Banshee was gone, but in her place were the black magic monsters they had fought earlier.

"It's useless, Akko," a voice came. Akko immediately recognized Diana's voice. She looked over and saw Diana staring at her. "We're not getting out of here."

"So you're just gonna give up?!" Akko asked, surprised. Diana looked away.

"What else is there to do?" Diana asked. Akko narrowed her eyes.

"Well!... I don't know. But there has to be something!" Akko replied desperately. Diana just sighed and shook her head sadly.

Suddenly, Lotte let out a gasp. Sucy and Akko looked at her, and she pulled something out of her pocket... a paper clip?

"What's the big deal about a paper clip?" Akko asked. Sucy rubbed her hands together excitedly.

"Sweet! We can use that to pick the lock!" Sucy said silently.

"You're gonna pick the lock with a paper clip?" Amanda asked. "Do you know how?"

"No, you do it for me," Sucy replied, secretly handing the paper clip over to her. Amanda quickly grabbed it, making sure the monsters weren't watching, and then bent it correctly, sticking it in the lock outside the cell. There were a few clicks, then the door slowly slid open. Akko giggled softly.

"You seem to be an expert," Akko laughed.

"I've had lots of practice," Amanda responded. She, Jasminka and Constanze slowly slid out of the cell, looking at the monsters. They weren't paying attention.

Other girls watched in awe as Amanda picked the locks of Akko'a and Pratibha's cells. The doors opened up, and the other six girls walked out.

Suddenly, one of the monsters looked over and noticed them. They let out their loud moans and raced at them. Amanda, Jasminka and Constanze looked at Akko and the others.

"You get going! We'll distract them!" Amanda shouted. Akko's heart pounded with anxiety and leaving her girlfriend behind.

"What are you gonna do? You don't have magic!" Akko reminded her, panic in her voice.

"Just go! We'll be fine!" Amanda snapped.

Akko nodded and took off toward the exit of the room, the other five following. One monster noticed them and started to chase them. The six raced through a dark hallway, the monster fast on their heels. Up ahead was a door, and they continued to run, sure if they reached the door and closed it behind them, the monster couldn't get through.

Their legs screamed at them to stop running, but they kept pushing forward. The monster let out its groans, outstretching its arms, ready to grab them.

They threw open the door, and the six ran through the opening. Nkiruka slammed the door behind her, locking it, and the monster stopped and let out a scream, stuck behind the door.

"Nice job!" Akko beamed, highfiving Nkiruka. She smiled.

"It was nothing!" She replied. Sucy walked over and put a hand on her shoulder, smiling.

"Now where?" Akko asked, looking around. Lotte stepped forward.

"We must be on the bottom floor," Lotte said. "Let's just keep heading forward and see what we find."

The six walked forward, and eventually, they reached a staircase. They headed up the staircase, their hearts pounding in anxiety as they headed up. They were afraid something would pop out at any moment. Eventually, the floor evened out. They stopped, breathing heavily from the long climb.

"Akko!" A voice came. Akko recognized that voice anywhere. Tears filled her eyes as she looked over to see Amanda and her group running up to them.

"Amanda!" She wailed, racing over to her and hugging her tightly. Amanda hugged her back, and they kissed passionately.

"Thank goodness you three are okay!" Pratibha smiled, running over. Amanda pulled back and put her hand on Pratibha's shoulder.

"Told you we'd be fine!" Amanda grinned.

"Now what?" Akko asked. Amanda stepped forward, scanning the area.

"Lets find this lady, and I'll give her a piece of my mind!" Amanda snapped. Akko clenched her fists.

"Yeah!" She grinned.

"What are we going to do to her? We don't have magic." Pratibha asked. Natalie huddled close to her, looking frightened.

"Y-yeah, w-we're completely useless. S-s-she'll kill us." Natalie's eyes grew wide, and she shook. Amanda stared at them.

"We won't die! We just gotta..." her voice trailed off and she thought for a moment. The other girls exchanged glances. Amanda sighed heavily. "Yeah, I don't know. We'll figure something out though!"

"I sure hope so," Pratibha frowned. Nkiruka laughed and wrapped her arm around Sucy.

"We'll be fine! Won't we, Sucy?" Nkiruka grinned. Sucy smiled back at her.

"Yes, we will," she responded.

Amanda stared at the darkness ahead. "Come on, lets go!" She shouted. The six girls raced forward, preparing both physically and mentally for whatever was awaiting them.