It's just as normal as any other day in the guild hall. The conversations were loud, quite a few were already in brawls this early in the morning. One of those brawls contained the ice-mage who is practically in his navy boxers hammering it out with the fire dragon slayer. The sight of the two is comical considering the amount of flesh because oddly enough, Natsu is only in his puffy pants and white scarf still wrapped around his neck. He tossed his vest to the side at some point, but Lucy doesn't know when he did or where it landed for that matter.
She watched them fight while she sat at the bar with a strawberry shake in hand and has an apparent annoyed expression accompanying her brown eyes. Who wouldn't be annoyed at the loud mouths? Usually, Gajeel would jump in on the fight with them but obviously the guy is in no mood to spar with them since he sat adjacent to her with his beer and pile of scrap metal snacks. It's unusual for him to sit near her to begin with but she didn't mind it. He at least gave her some company while Mira tended to her customer's needs.
Lucy made a quick glance at the iron dragon slayer then spoke for the first time since he joined her at the bar. "Aren't you going to jump in, Gajeel? You usually like to butt in."
"Yeah, usually, but I'm in no mood for those two morons."
This confused Lucy for some reason. He's never in a bad mood especially when he sees an opportunity to take out his frustrations in brawls like Gray and Natsu's. She could tell just from his tone that he gave off that there was something in particular bothering him and for some reason, Lucy wanted to know what that is. She considers him as a friend, has been for quite a while now truth be told. So, she wanted to try and figure out what it is that's bothering him and hopefully help him through it the best she can.
"Since when are you not in a good mood to fight? Is something bothering you?"
"Nothing you should worry about, Luce." He retorted roughly then jugged what was left of his now stale beer with a grimace.
A little hurt from him brushing off her concern for the dragon slayer, Lucy was about to snap back when Mira finally came back to the bar with a silver tray against her stomach.
"Oh, don't worry about him, Luce. He's been that way since a new lady member joined our guild today."
This caught Lucy's interest. She didn't know that someone new joined their guild. Is that the reason why Gajeel has been acting oddly? Come to think of it, Lucy noticed he was acting strangely when he suddenly decided to join her at the bar. Including the fact that he isn't anywhere near her best friend, Levy and Team Shadowgear. Did this new girl catch his attention or something? Then something sparked in her brain that put those few facts together.
"Oh, really. Did this new girl catch your eye, Gajeel?" Lucy hinted as she elbowed him gently in the ribs in a friendly manner. Lucy noticed that Mira backed up a little bit towards the crowd which made her second guess that assumption. She's a bit nervous but didn't dare show it.
Gajeel blushes but just as he does, he quickly regains his composure to retort back and quiet loudly, too. "What? Are you out of your fucking mind? Hell no!"
Lucy stifles a chuckle because it was a little obvious from the tinge of pink that returned to his cheeks that she hit a nerve. She would love to push his buttons even further but decided against it. He's already in a bad mood and she didn't want to add more fuel to the fire. Instead, she figured she ease him out of his mood with a small smile in which he gave her a grunt in return. Typical.
"Oh, lighten up, I was only messing around. Who is this new girl you're talking about, Mira?" Lucy asked the bar-maid.
Mira only smiled, which made Lucy think that she didn't know who it was that joined. "Um, to be honest, I really don't know their name." Mira replied nervously with a hand rubbing her hair in the same fashion. Lucy glared at her in surprise, Gajeel just seemed annoyed.
"Seriously?" they both asked the barmaid simultaneously.
"Sorry guys, I would have told you if I actually knew. I mean, I welcomed her to the guild in all and asked of her name, but she basically brushed me off when she asked to see Master Makarov. "
"Wait, why did she need to see him?" Lucy asked in surprise.
Hardly anyone asks for the headmaster. So I have to wonder what the girl's motive was.
"That was something I asked, but she couldn't answer that for me as it was a matter between her and the master. I even wanted to stay and listen in on the meeting, you know as a witness, but Makarov dismissed me."
"Really? Well, that's a little shocking. Did you get to talk to her afterwards?"
"I never got the chance as she was quick to find someplace to settle and get her bearings. She did seem a little tense when I saw her exit." Mira explained with a little hint of sadness behind that cheery tone.
"Where exactly is she in this chaos?" Lucy asked as she tried to look for the new comer. Natsu and Gray are still going at it which should have been broken up a while ago but no one didn't seem to care.
"Oh, she's over there in that corner reading. Obviously, she had the right idea to keep a good distance away from those two battling the way they are." Mira replied as she pointed to a section of the guild hall where it was a little quieter.
Lucy followed her finger in the direction she pointed and saw the new girl reading a large book. The book is at a good angle and low enough where she could see her features unlike how Levy reads. The girl looked a little older then she is, might be close to Gajeel's age but she couldn't really tell from this distance. Her hair is dark green in a short, rebellious style. A large section of her bangs hung over half of her face, which only raised the question of how she could read with that much hair in the way. Her skin reminded her of a sandy tan beach and looked flawless from a far. If she could, Lucy would love to get closer to catch a glimpse of her eyes that are in a way hidden from her bright lavender glasses that sat just below the bridge of her nose. She looks smart, but there is certainly something odd about her that Lucy felt the same way as Gajeel is.
Lucy understands now why he seems bothered. Just from her first impression of the girl made her think that she could care less of the people around her and maybe not even care of what they thought of her. She seemed indifferent and cold, but Lucy wouldn't want to hold onto to that first impression. She's intrigued of the girl's appearance and the item of clothing she wore. I mean, it's not everyday you see a girl wear a very settled color scheme of mostly earth tone greens and browns. Her top mimicked a tank top with one half sweeping up her left shoulder with a v-shaped section cut slightly in the middle that is a deep sage green. The other side is a spaghetti like strap in a sawgrass green color. She also wore beige handless gloves and has a green strap that has an emerald on the side of her upper left arm. She is unusual to say the least, but there is always a better side of someone if you took the time to know them.
Lucy slowly stood away from the bar to try and spark a conversation with her until she noticed Levy along with Jet and Droy approach her. She held back to watch and took notice of Gajeel watching intently, maybe even listening to the conversation they're having.
The girl, from this good of a distance, could tell that they were a few people watching her which she didn't seem to mind. Of course, she could care less of what they were thinking, she just wanted some peace and quiet to read. Of course, she realized quickly that it is never quiet in this place. Despite her interest in reading, she observed her surroundings and watched the sparing match at the front of the guild hall intently. She is slightly annoyed by it, but nonetheless dealt with it especially since she gets to learn of the other mages magic.
Honestly though, she looked out among the crowd to see if there was anyone she would be willing to spar with. She is interested to know what the other guild member's magic are, but her way of finding out is different from others. Plus, she could really go for a good brawl right about now. She absently rolls her right shoulder, grimacing slightly from the tightness it brought.
Damn, it's still tight after three months. I need a suitable opponent to strengthen this bothersome shoulder of mine, but who would be worthy a contender in this place?
She huffed a loud sigh from her lungs from her thoughts, but mostly from being unnerved when she felt a pair of eyes on her. Someone has been watching her since she arrived and its starting to get on her nerves. She sighs heavily again to try and ignore them by reading except her attention diverted when several shadows stood before her. Showing little interest in the people in front of her, she gave them a small glance to let them know that she acknowledged their presence before returning to the book in front of her. Of course, one of them had to interrupt her which she didn't care for in the least.
"Hi, there. I just found out that you're new to the guild. I hope you don't mind if we came over to give you a warm welcome to Fairy Tail."
The girl is annoyed but figured she at least exchange a few words. "I guess I should say thank you for the welcoming but I'm more interested in reading right now." She replies flatly, her voice silky and silvery.
"I've noticed you got the latest work of one of my favorite authors. I'm actually quiet interested of what's about. I love to read as well, but I tend to drift towards romance novels." Just as Levy was about to say more about books in general, the girl quickly interrupted her and she sounded quite irritated that Levy was still talking.
"Listen, blueberry-patch. That wasn't an invitation to strike up a conversation with me. Pardon me for being blunt, but I'm not exactly in the best of moods to be around anyone right now. If you want to talk about books or whatever else you want, go talk to somebody else."
Levy was a little hurt from the girl barking like that but it also caused a little hatred towards her for being rude. It was just a friendly gesture of welcoming her to the guild, so why would she be bent out of shape with someone asking her questions.
"Look, lady. She was just being nice since you are basically tucked away in a corner like some little kid. You didn't have to be rude like that." Jet quickly butted at the sight of his friend being talked to like that.
"I have every right to be rude when I don't want to be bothered by anyone. You could at least respect that wish instead of continuing to stand there with your fists clenched in front of you, carrot-top."
Jet instantly dropped his fists when she pointed that out, but he is still upset that this mysterious girl would talk to a fellow guild member like that. "What is your problem anyway? If you didn't want to be bothered because of your so-called mood, then why are you even in the guild hall?"
"I have my reasons now bug off." The girl replies harshly, not even bothering to look up at him.
"Jeez, rude much? If you weren't a chick, I would have challenged you to a dual and beat the crap out of you."
At that moment, the girl snapped her gaze on him and it was only Jet that saw a flash of excitement in her eyes.
He wasn't sure what that meant so he turned his attention to his friends for confirmation, but they didn't catch it like he did. Levy and Droy stared angrily at the new girl from calling Jet names, but never saw that glimmer of excitement. Jet then turned back towards her to still see the excitement behind her lavender spectacles. Why though? Why does she seem eager all the sudden?
Natsu and Gray's brawl had stopped to ear in on their conversation along with everybody else to hear what the new girl will say to Jet's supposed challenge. A thin calculating eyebrow rose with a slight indifference before suppressing a smile into a hard frown then shot a deadly glare at Jet that sent shivers down his spine.
"Should I take that as an invitation for me to kick your ass to the ground, you punk?" she replies viciously as she stood slightly, her palms on the table.
When she did, she revealed an interesting accessory that had everyone wondering what they were used for. Behind her is a set of flexible metal plates that swooped down to the back of her knees, in a fan like tail. These metal plates are securely stamped and nailed to her lavender leather belt which is cocked sideways on her right hip and has a belt buckle with an emerald in the middle.
Jet couldn't help but feel nervous and sweat drop from the way she said those words, maybe more specifically the stance she took. Her stance is incredibly intimidating, and he is worried to take up a challenge against this girl when he doesn't know a thing about her magic. He stammered to say something, but he couldn't produce any words in his defense. Needless to say, he's speechless.
"How about this? You spar with me despite the gender difference. I could go for a good brawl right about now anyway."
"Wait, right now?" Jet stammered quickly.
"No, sometime next week." The girl started sarcastically as her brows drew downwards in annoyance and lips slightly pursed. "Yes, right now, you ignoramus! Now get outside, before I drag you out there!"
Everyone in the guild is shocked that Jet just picked a fight with someone, a girl to be exact. She may be in the right to be angry when she didn't want to be disturbed but she took it to the extreme and kind of got off on the wrong foot with the guy. A good swift kick in the ass would do her some good to respect others, but since no one in the guild knows what kind of magic she has they don't know what could happen if they butted in. They all watched in awe as the mysterious woman walked out of the guild hall with Jet closely behind sweating bullets. Just as they exited the guild, people started to murmur.
"My moneys on the newbie!" Macao suddenly blurted with a mug in his hand.
"Are you serious? You're betting on the new girl?" Droy up roared.
"Why should I not? She seems strong, don't you think?"
"I don't know why you're betting to begin with, Macao? It's quite obvious who's going to win and it's going to be Jet."
"Eh, I don't know about that. We don't know what kind of magic this girl has and honestly, I wouldn't give her the benefit of a doubt, if I were you."
"I still think Jet has a good chance at winning."
"Well, instead of talking about it let's go see for ourselves?" Natsu chimed happily.
"I'm with Natsu. I want to see this girl in action!" Gray agreed then rushed out of the guild with Natsu in tow.
The others soon followed with a loud chatter while Lucy, Mira and Gajeel trailed slightly behind.
"I get the feeling that this brawl is different from the other we've seen. It seems to me that this girl is wanting to prove her worth in my opinion."
Lucy voiced as she trudged alongside Gajeel while Mira happily went ahead of them with a pad of paper and pen in hand. Obviously, she wanted to take notes of the fight or keep track of bets, they couldn't tell which. But there's always a motive.
"Nah, I don't think she's trying to prove anything." Gajeel suddenly replies after a while.
"What makes you think that?"
"Honestly? There's something about her that rubs me the wrong way and I can't put my finger on it. She doesn't look the type to start a fight on a whim to prove anything. Almost feels like she's fighting just for the joy of it or maybe, to keep from feeling anything."
"I think that is a bit of a stretch, but I would have to agree with you on one thing. She does come off as, oh how should I put it?" Lucy thought for a moment and was about to continue her thought when Gajeel interrupted.
"It doesn't matter. Let's see who gets squashed into a pancake first. Gihi." Gajeel replied with his signature grin then he picked up his pace to watch the fight unfold, his bad mood suddenly gone.
Lucy watched him for only a moment with a blushing smile then quickens her pace to catch up.
Jet and the girl stood in the middle of the park with their eyes glaring with determination at their opponent. The girl could tell as they stood there that the entire guild is gathering around them to watch the two fight, but she didn't want their cheers and hollers to cloud her mind. She actually wished that they just stayed inside the guild. She would rather concentrate on what is happening around her, but she would have to admit that she doesn't mind the eager eyes watching on. When the park got to the point where it could hold no more on lookers, she gives Jet a glare that he couldn't read.
"Are you ready, carrot-top?"
"Will you stop calling me that? I have a name you know!"
"I know you do, I just don't care at the moment. Before we even start_" she is cut short when Jet suddenly interrupted.
"Hold up, how is this even going to work?" He finally managed to get a good look at the new comer and he couldn't help but gawk at her height.
She's tall with a small frame and is relatively fit. Her long slender legs are toned, she has subtle muscle mass and a chest that is exceptionally yet proportionally filled out. Jet also noticed that her stomach is partially exposed from her angular tank top and is fairly well toned that she has a light six pack. This new girl, well Jet now considers her a woman since she looks to be in her late teens or almost twenty, is really attractive.
When he first walked up to her, he noticed her soft feminine features: thin yet pouty heart shaped lips, small angular like eyes that are golden amber in color and refined brows. And he is about to go up against her?
The mysterious woman stares at him absently, a little confused. "What are you talking about? How is what going to work?"
"Well look at you!" Jet stopped for a second to scan his eyes up and down her tall body, blushing slightly. "You're taller than me! You're basically a female version of Bickslow!"
This confused her even more but is now irritated. "Let me get this straight, you didn't want to get in a scuffle with me because of my gender and now you're seeing my height as an issue? It wouldn't matter to me if you were short and large in structure or tall and frail. I fought against mages that were of the opposite sex, so it doesn't matter to me who I go up against."
"I just feel so, puny standing next to you. Can you like_"
"I am not going to remove my footwear for you over a mere half an inch."
This made Jet pout.
"Ppfftt, don't waste your energy on this one, girly." Someone out in the crowd called out.
The unknown female turned her attention in the direction of which the voice was heard. Her eyes landed on a tall male who looks like he walked out of a medieval novel. She remembers seeing him in the guild and actually caught him on several occasions watching her. The woman can tell just from eyeing him that he is a Seith mage. The totem like puppets floating above his head were an indication, but it was mostly the visor that caught her attention.
This guy has eye magic as well. Interesting. The girl thought to herself as she continued to eye him.
"You need someone that can give you a real challenge instead of short-stuff over there." Bickslow pointed over at Jet, who is sweat dropping due to his current circumstances.
The woman stares at him for a brief moment to consider his suggestion, since he does seem to be referring to himself. It doesn't sound like a bad idea plus she wouldn't mind going up against him considering the aura he's giving off.
Before she could respond, Jet quickly interjected.
"No, no! I 'supposedly' challenged her to a dual. So, you are not sticking your nose in this, buddy. Besides, she was rude to Levy. This, woman here, needs to learn to respect others." Jet replied firmly then started towards her fairly quick with his magic.
She tsked with a roll of her eyes before sighing and stood her ground with her arms crossed in front of her. Once Jet was feet from her, she was quick to simply step out of his path then kicked her knee into his gut with a turn of her heel. A huge puff of air escaped Jet's lips then a groan as he staggered backwards before being shoved down to the ground by the girl's boot.
Jet laid flat on his back as he stared up at the blue sky for a brief second before the unnamed female stood over him with a bored expression and arms still crossed.
"Congratulations, dumbass. You just revealed your magic to an opponent that you don't even know what their magic. You should put this into consideration before charging at them in a simple hand to hand combat. Are you arrogant or just plain old stupid?"
"I'm neither, lady! You could have told_"
"If you had let me finish beforehand instead of cutting me off with your gawking of my height, I would have informed you that there was to be no use of magic."
She heard murmurs along the sidelines after the no magic thing. Does that mean she solely relays on hands on combat instead of her magic?
Jet stares with his brows drawn close in confusion. "Huh? No magic?"
"Yes, no magic. Given the fact that you are on your back right now tells me that you rely too much on your magic and not your own fists. Now get up. We're going to try this again. This time we're doing it my way." She steps back from his fallen form then stands a foot away for Jet to stand on his feet.
"Damn, that hurt you know." Jet whined as he slowly stood back on his feet.
"That was just from the velocity of your own speed, kid. I merely swung my leg at the optimal moment. Everything else was all on you."
"So, wait, you didn't actually kick me?"
"Nope! Girly just stopped at mid swing, shorty!" Bickslow hollered with a wide grin, his puppets quickly repeating 'shorty' after him.
"Bickslow, will you shut up already?" Evergreen stressed in a low voice that the new comer couldn't hear.
"Like I listen."
"You should." Freed managed before he turned his gaze on his tall companion. "Your color commentary is interfering with their one on one."
"How am I interfering giraffe legs and shorty?"
"Giraffe legs?" Freed inquired in surprise.
Bickslow didn't bother to comment back, he was more interested in watching the girl of what she would do next. He's finding this "fight" more entertaining and comical. He can tell that the green haired female has years of experience in hands on combat, which only begs the question how she is going to challenge herself when her opponent rarely gets into fist fights to begin with.
Oh, she's going to figure it out pretty quick. She seems pretty smart.
"Okay then, no magic. May I ask why though?"
"Think of it this way, carrot-top, it levels out the playing field. If you encounter someone that you don't have a clue of what their magic is, such as me for instance, you don't want to go in willy nilly and get pummeled because they have a magic that can easily counter yours. Hands on combat is your best bet to decipher one's magic by how they fight without it."
Jet considered that for a moment and he drew the conclusion that the girl is right. Just like him and Levy, they solely rely on their magic and not the full physicality of it. His speed just enhances his basic knowledge of combat, even though he knows what he is doing most of the time.
Maybe this girl, well woman, has a better approach in combat.
"Huh, I never thought of it that way. Alright then, this should be easy!" Jet exclaims then throws a punch to catch her off guard, but he got a surprise of his own. The tall woman kicked up her knee into his stomach again but simultaneously elbowed him in the back, kind of like a raised knee twist. He staggers backwards coughing while holding his stomach, now on the verge of just wailing on her despite the height difference.
"What in the hell was that for?" Jet yelled.
"You seriously need to take the time in evaluating your opponent, kid. May I remind you that we are doing this my way and my way involves two rules. No magic and no cheap shots."
"What the, I can't even catch you off guard?"
"I find cheap shots insulting."
"Okay fine, no magic and no cheap shots. Is there anything else I need to know before I start kicking your ass, lady?"
"No, that about sums it up and we'll see who will be kicking whose ass. Although, now that I'm thinking about it, how about we make this a little more interesting?"
"Oh great, the tall attractive woman has another stipulation! What else is there?"
"There are no more stipulations, kid. I was more so thinking on the lines of a wager, or an exchange as a reward for the victor."
"Oh, now we're talking. What do you have in mind lady? What is your name by the way? I'm tired of referring to you as lady."
"That's the reward. I'm not one to exchange formalities before a fight. It's something that should be rewarded. If you end up winning, Flash Step, I will reveal my name. If I win, you will do the same. Are we in agreement?"
Jet slightly deadpanned. She wanted his name? Why not just introduce yourself?
I swear this lady is strange, but damn is she good looking, Jet thought to himself.
"Are you sure you don't want to just introduce yourself instead of putting me up to a fight?"
"I did say that I want to make our dual a little interesting. Why fight just for the fun of it?" She replied with a small smile forming on her lips.
"So, if I win you will tell me your name and vice versa?" Jet grinned mischievously.
"That is correct."
"Ha, then this will be a cakewalk. You have no idea what you are getting yourself into, don't you, lady?"
She just rolls her eyes in annoyance. "Don't adulate yourself, it's not exactly a perfected quality you possess. Now, deliver the first blow before I do, dumbass."
Before the fight officially started, Gajeel and Lucy finally made it to the park where the fight was taking place but there was nowhere for them to stand.
"You have got to be kidding me! How the hell can we watch with all these people in the way?" Lucy blurted out of frustration.
Gajeel took a moment to see if there were any spots in the crowd to break through, but there was none much to his dismay. He looked away from the crowd to the tree and got an idea. He grinned mischievously then looked over at Lucy.
"Oi, bunny girl, you want a good seat?"
Confused, Lucy looked up at him with wonder, but her expression faltered when she caught that grin. "Oh god, what do you have in mind?"
He held that grin as he grabbed Lucy by the waist and hoisted her off the grounded where she managed a squeak in protest.
"Gajeel! What the hell are you doing? Let me down!"
"Getting the best seats in the house, Bunny Girl."
With that Gajeel leapt into the tree with Lucy in arm. She managed a yelp when he jumped into the tree then her protests were muffled from the thick leaves blocking her outrage. It was only a minute until Gajeel settled Lucy on a thick branch then planted himself next to her, his grin still on his face and a blush slowly creeping on his cheeks.
It took Lucy a moment to gather her surroundings then turned her attention to the man beside her. She punched him in the shoulder that almost knocked both of them out of the tree, but they managed to hold their balance.
"Warn me before you do something like that, you jerk."
"Oh, shut up. You got what you wanted, right?"
Lucy momentarily looked down to see Jet and the girl in view, nothing blocking her view and was at an excellent angle. She smiled in appreciation then gave Gajeel a side glance, "Yes, it's a perfect, thank you."
Gajeel didn't reply back, he just looked ahead as his blush started to deepen then watched as the fight begun to unfold.
Down below, Jet quickly evaluated the tall woman before going in with a punch only to be avoided. He attempted another punch, but the unnamed female avoided his punch with a sidestep. Jet inwardly groaned with irritation then went in for another swing, failing to notice that the woman still has her arms crossed in front of her. Why isn't she hitting back?
Jet attempted an uppercut to her face, but what he wasn't expecting was her arms dropping and grabbed his arm to prevent the blow. He tried swinging with his left only to get caught again. What the blasted hell is this woman doing? Why isn't she striking me?
He felt his arms drop as she released her grip on him, giving Jet the opportunity to swing again except she stepped back quickly then grabbed his arm when he tried again.
He felt her reposition his arm before her voice rung through his mind.
"Your form is sloppy, kid. If you want impact, you need to step in with the punch and twist your arm slightly."
What in the world is she doing? Is she schooling me on how to punch? I know how to punch, lady!
His arm was released from her grip again then actually listened to what she said. She avoided his punch to the gut before grabbing his arm again, making it stiffer than what he had before.
"You need to be rigid. Lay your thumb below the first knuckle of your fingers then step forward. And only punch between your second and third knuckles, never here." She replied while pointing out where to hit.
She released her hold on him, so he would perform what was instructed and she wasn't disappointed. He followed through with her instruction and landed a punch to her lower abdomen. It hurt of course, but it really didn't faze her as it was minimal.
She smiled proudly at the short man. "That's better, but how well can you block?" The woman asked before engaging herself.
They exchanged punches briefly before the unnamed female started instructing Jet how to block, causing the onlookers to watch with boredom. Why is she showing Jet how to properly punch yet alone block? What exactly is her purpose over this?
Jet wanted to ask her what the point was for this but never got to ask when she blatantly informed him that she was going in for a kick. He eventually blocked her kick but she had to point out how to properly block without hurting himself. Why is she doing this?
"This is getting boring. She's instructing the idiot instead of actually fighting, so what's the point?" Evergreen asked out loud.
"You'll see." Bickslow replied with a grin.
Both Evergreen and Freed glanced over at their companion, finding that wide grin of his plastered on his face and watching the girl intently as he leaned against the tree.
"Do you know what she is doing, Bickslow?" Freed asked curiously.
"Yep."
"Would you care to elaborate?" Evergreen snapped.
"Nope. Just watch." He instructed as he continued to watch the unnamed girl.
Evergreen and Freed just stared at him, confused yet curious why he seemed to be so focused on the unnamed female. Does he know something that they don't?
After a moment of blocking and delivering punches and avoiding her kicks, Jet was finally able to step back and express his confusion over her tactics. "Alright, I'm done! This was supposed to be a fight, not a class. Is this how you really fight, lady?"
"Take off your hat." the woman instructed suddenly with her voice firm. She adjusted her stance along with her glasses that became skewed from her movements.
"Huh?" Jet is even more confused now. What the blazing hell is she doing?
"And your jacket." she added, turning sideways with a simple slid of her foot.
"What the hell for, lady? I was doing just fine with it." He snarked as he started for his tall hat, but stopped suddenly when he heard the female start a count down.
"One."
Oh shit! Jet quickly removed his hat and tossed it to the side. Then scrambled to take his coat off, but with great difficulty.
"Two."
He managed to get one arm out and was just about to get his left arm out when the female rushed at him at the count of three. Jet ducked low when her long, slender leg sailed over his head missing his crown by a mere inch. Holy hell, lady! A warning would have helped!
Jet had to step backwards when she attempted to strike him in the abdomen with a swing of her leg, all the while trying to remove his coat.
"Crips, lady! Can you wait a minute?"
"Waiting only leaves you open, Flash Step." She replied simply with a punch aiming for his jaw, only to be properly blocked.
Several more were blocked efficiently along with an elbow jab that Jet wasn't exactly prepared for but figured it out quickly. The only downside to focusing on the punches was her knee kicking up into his stomach.
"Divide your focus and never think, just do." She snarled.
The woman attacked him with her fist blazing that it was actually hard for Jet to keep up. Jet had blocked and maneuvered around her to the point that he just now realized that his coat was removed from his arm. Wait, when did that happen? He turned his attention to the woman who stopped briefly and is wearing his coat. It actually fits well on her and matches the color scheme of her clothing. She stood with her arms crossed but is eyeing Jet with an analytical gaze.
"What the, how in the blasted hell did you get my coat?" Jet asked wide eyed.
"You need to pay attention to what your opponent is doing while you're facing them. I actually like this, I may have to keep it." A devious hint of a smirk appeared on her lips as she stared intensely at him, challenging the average height mage.
"That is my coat!" He barked.
"Then come take it from me." Her devious grin growing wider.
Jet growled then charged at her at full force that he never knew he had. He threw punches left and right that the tall woman avoided them beautifully all the while keeping her arms crossed. He would kick to try to knock her down, but she would either jump upwards, sideways or backwards. She would even bend at angles he never thought of.
Damn, this girl is good! How can she bend like that? Jet thought as he continued to wail on her but had to quickly remind himself not to get distracted.
A lot of the onlookers watched wide-eyed at the determined speed mage in retrieving his coat back from the unnamed female. They were also quite impressed with the girl's skills but really had to wonder why she would not strike back or even attempt to land a hit? Is she fighting Jet just to challenge him and test his skills in combat?
Levy is actually impressed in how Jet has increasingly improved since the girl initiated the fight between them. Hell, she is even amazed at how well the tall mage is adapting to Jet's height. She looks down at her hands in wonder, maybe she should consider getting physical instead of relying on others to fight for her when she uses her script magic. Maybe, Levy could ask the green haired woman for help.
While Levy stood on the side with Droy, Jet was still trying to land a hit on the tall woman in front of him. She continued to dodge his attacks and not even bothering to counter. He seriously has to question her methods. He attempted to land a punch to her chin but she ended up avoiding it then barked at him.
"Listen kid, your height has an advantage. Use it!"
Jet really wasn't sure what she meant at first, but it dawned on him pretty quick. He gave himself some room then jumped high to deliver a kick. What he wasn't expecting was the female blocking the kick with her wrist where he saw her devious smile fade into a proud grin. He drops firmly and squarely on his feet before going after her again for a punch this time, using her method of course.
They squared off like a couple of martial art masters with their varying punches, kicks and blocking methods, leaving the onlookers gapping. They watched as the unnamed female maneuvered around Jet like a dancer while he attacked without stopping. There was no break for the two, they just went at it. Between Jet jumping high to deliver a punch only to be blocked and the girl dodging each attack before going in for an attack as well, no one can tell who would win this.
Jet and the unnamed female have been going at like this for less than ten minutes now and honestly, he was getting tired of this so-called fight school of hers. He switched tactics on the girl to kick her legs out from underneath her then immediately brought her down to the ground. Jet could have sworn he saw a flash of surprise cross her features, but all he saw was her determined game face. He grappled her into a submissive hold, holding her in place with triumph.
"Haha, I win!" Jet exclaimed happily but his victory was short lived when the girl underneath him easily escaped his hold then held him down herself.
"Don't be presumptuous, Flash Step."
Jet slowly but surely escaped her hold as he has been in many wrestling matches with Droy when they were kids. He got her tangled in another submissive hold only to lose position. They both maneuvered around each other in a bundle of limps, each trying their damnest to get the upper hand. At one point, Jet had her face down on the ground, but the girl was flexible enough to fight her way out.
They wrestled each other for a couple of minutes until Jet found himself in a vulnerable position and unable to escape her hold. She has her arms around his neck and shoulders in a sleeper and her whole body over him. He scrambled under her in an attempt to escape but she has a firm grip on him. Jet can feel himself start to slip but he was not going to lose, not to her he's not. He struggled to turn his head then without even realizing what he was doing, bit down on her hand. Jet heard her grunt from the pain then maneuvered out of her grasp with a push.
He turned on his heel to tackle her down again but was surprised when her fist collided with his left eye. Jet heard the gasps of surprise even a couple of Oh's from his guild mates as he landed flat on his back, now sporting an instant black eye. Even when he heard the gasps from the girl's punch, her voice rose several octaves with a vicious snarl.
"Biting is one thing, but did you seriously just grope me?"
Jet sat up from the ground with a wide grin plastered on his face, which is a dead giveaway. He knew when he went to push her back, his hand was over her right breast and gave it a couple of quick squeezes before shoving her away. Jet is really not one to fondle or have perverted tendencies, but damn the girl has a pair. Is he proud of it? Well, as a guy, Jet is damn proud of it. Although, he knew it would result in some sort of reciprocation from her, so, guilt is slowly starting to settle in.
"Hmm, maybe." His grin still wide and proud. His grin though was erased when her fist collided into his jaw, causing a few people to laugh out loud and Bickslow was one of the few along with Natsu, Gray and Gajeel, who then fell out of the tree with a thud. All the female mages glared daggers at Jet for his perverted act.
The girl is livid, enough so that she tackled him to the ground and is wrangling him like a calf at a rodeo. Jet yelped from her manhandling him that he was actually having a hard time getting her off. That is until Elfman pulled the two apart. Someone in the audience actually groaned with disappointment.
"Aw, come on, Elfman. It was actually fun watching those two."
The large man grabbed Jet by the back of his shirt collar and held him up from the ground on his left while he had grabbed the unnamed female by her left arm and held her still on the ground with a relatively firm grip.
"Alright that's enough. You're both acting like children." Elfman boomed.
"She was the one that started the whole thing!" Jet proclaimed as he fought with Elfman to let him down. No success though.
"Playing the blame game is a childish antic in itself, Flash Step. And please be careful where you grab. I'm wearing a precious gift on this arm. If it's crushed, you will be in a world of hurt." The female replies gently. Her voice returned to her silky, silvery tone and is being rather collected after being interrupted. She looks up at Elfman with an indifferent glare, noting his towering size and muscular build.
"Oh, my apologies, miss."
He quickly removes his hand from her arm before pulling the fabric of Jet's coat away to assess possible damage. Thankfully, the gift that she is referring to is the emerald securely embellished on the heavy strip of green fabric and is perfectly intact. Elfman actually lets out a breath when he saw the precious stone in one-piece, admiring it, too.
"Pretty emerald, miss."
"Th_" the woman started to reply only to be interrupted by Jet's voice.
"Don't manhandle my coat, man! Now let me down, Elfman!" Jet hollered as he tried to squirm out of the man's grip to no avail.
"Only if you settle down first." Elfman replied calmly as he glared at Jet.
Jet scowls at Elfman with his arms crossed as he visibly calmed himself. "Fine."
With that, Jet was released but was more so thrown down like a rejected rag doll and went sprawling on the ground with a huff. He laid there for a moment to get his bearings then turned his attention to the girl that sat in a rather poised, sophisticated manner.
How in the hell can she be so calm and collected after Elfman interrupted us? Wouldn't she have wanted to clobber him? Jet thought to himself as he scowled at her but was immediately erased when he flashed a cocky grin.
He straightened himself up then started gloating, obviously wanting to keep a little dignity and pride after their interruption.
"I called it earlier, I won the dual, so you owe me."
The girl scuffs as she rolls her eyes at him. "Your impudence is startling. Technically it's a draw. If Elfman here hadn't interfered, we would have found a victor on our terms. So, we both exchange formalities."
While the two had their exchange, people started filling back once they realized the fight was officially over.
Gajeel had straightened himself up after falling at this time and is coaxing Lucy into jumping from the tree limp that she sat on. Something that the new girl noticed from the corner of her eye as she watched her new guild mates start back to the guild hall to go about their day. It took a moment for Lucy to chalk up the courage to jump down, landing in Gajeel's outstretched arms with elegance.
The girl watched them for a moment before turning her attention to Jet who stood from which he landed and is glaring at her with a scowl. She blinks in return then stood up herself without the use of her hands since she has them crossed. Her expression is blank as she stares at Jet, examining him as if he were a specimen. They were silent for a moment, waiting for one another to introduce themselves.
Only Jet didn't plan on it. He marched forwards completely by passing her to regroup with Levy and Droy who waited for him. Jet stopped abruptly when the girl behind him called out for him.
"Aren't you forgetting something?" the girl inquired as she stared ahead of her, not even bothering to make eye contact with him since he chose to ignore their agreement.
"I'm not giving you my name, lady." He retorted.
"You did agree to the terms, Flash Step, but that is not what I'm inquiring about. You're leaving behind your coat." She replies simply then held out the article of clothing for him.
He acknowledged her for a moment before rushing up and snatching it out of her hand. "Yeah, thanks." Jet replies quickly and started to walk away but was stopped when the girl spoke.
"The name is Hazel, by the way. I held up my end of the bargain, you should do the same. Unless, you want me to refer you by either, Flash Step or Kid, since you are acting like one."
"Why should I when you were acting like a child yourself earlier by disrespecting, Levy. Hell, I even feel like you belittled me with your whole schooling thing. Like I wasn't up to par for you."
"That was not my intention and I apologize for that. If I had fought you with your current level, I would have overpowered you. It wouldn't have been much of a challenge and an unfair fight. Besides, I've dealt with people larger then me when I was younger and was defenseless. I was not going to be like them."
Hazel saw Jet's face fall when she mentioned this before she continued. "I was well aware that you were able to fight, I just offering you some pointers to better yourself."
It took Jet a minute to process this, actually feeling guilty now that she explained herself. She was just being helpful, but in her own strange way. He misjudged her. He was about to speak up for once until Hazel started talking again.
"I apologize for disrespecting your girlfriend, earlier. I'll even_" She was quickly cut off when Jet started stammering.
"G, girlfriend? Who are you referring to as my girlfriend?" Jet blushed madly.
"The short petite girl with the blue-hair, she is your girlfriend, correct?" Hazel stared, perplexed.
"What, Levy? No! She's just a childhood friend of mine." His blush deepening as he spoke.
"The color on your cheeks tells me differently, Flash Step."
"My name is Jet, lady! It's not Flash Step not even Kid. Got it?"
"You made yourself clear, Flash Step." Hazel replies with a small smile. "Jet seems rather fitting considering your speed magic, but I can only assume that is what you prefer to be called."
"Yeah, I have a real name but I prefer Jet. And uh, I guess I should thank you for giving me some pointers. Maybe even apologize for being rude to you moments ago."
"It would be commendable if you did, but it's not necessary."
"I was more so apologizing for groping you."
"That I will accept, but let that black eye be a lesson. It's not something you do on an everyday basis, is it?" Hazel asked him as she gave him a slight scowl.
"Oh no, I'm really not the perverted type. I would just be careful with that one over there." Jet points to Bickslow, who apparently has stuck around after their brawl officially ended moments ago.
Hazel looks over her shoulder at Bickslow, eyeing him strangely as he leaned against the tree. Curious.
"Don't get me wrong, he's a decent guy even though he is an odd duck." Jet adds then starts heading towards Levy and Droy who are being very patient for their conversation to end. "Oh, and uh, welcome to Fairy Tail, Hazel." Jet finally calls Hazel by her name then rejoined his group.
Hazel opened her mouth to say something but he along with Levy and Droy rushed away while talking animatedly. She watches their retreating forms for only a moment before turning her attention to the medieval glad mage who has been patiently waiting for her. She suppresses a smile then started towards him with her arms crossed in front.
"Are you satisfied?" Hazel starts as she stops several feet away from him, discreetly scanning his long, semi-muscular form.
"It depends. Were you aiming to prove me wrong?"
Bickslow has a slight smirk as he eyed her frame, noting her toned, slender legs despite the fact that they are covered from her tawny brown pants that is like second skin. He watched her as she fought Jet and those legs of hers are not just meant to walk or kick. Seeing how fit she is, this girl has a lot more to offer then hands on combat.
"I would have used a different approach if I wanted to prove you wrong." Hazel adjusted her feet as she spoke, putting weight on her left side that her hip stuck out slightly.
"What was all of that about then?" He knew the answer, Bickslow just wanted to find out if Hazel was intelligent enough to catch on of his true purpose for staying behind.
"I may have given him a few pointers to help the kid out with his form, but Flash Step was just a warm-up."
Hazel couldn't see it because of his visor, but he cocked an eyebrow with a grin. Warm.
"I've been on the road for a long time and encountered quiet a few mages during my travels. The last real fight I had was three months ago and it nearly killed me."
"Who was the asshole?"
"Not important. I needed a challenge but was I willing to jump right into one? Not particularly. You were the one that caught my attention first since you have been watching me like a hawk since my arrival."
Bickslow didn't say anything. Getting warmer, girly.
Hazel shifted her feet again, this time her right hip stuck out. "My little jaunt with Flash Step was just a small portion of my capabilities. I have a lot more to offer then just my hands-on combat. You seem like the type of person that matches my caliber anyway. You're the real challenge that I want."
Bickslow grins wide. Much warmer.
"Jet didn't necessarily propose a challenge to me. I just took it as an excuse to get you out of the guild and display what you will be going up against."
Bingo! His grin grew wider as he watched Hazel shift her weight from foot to foot again, making it blatantly obvious that she is preparing for him to attack.
Anxious, are we?
"You're pretty smart, manipulative maybe, but smart. What makes you think I would be interested?"
He's hoping that it would throw her off guard, but he wasn't surprised when she gave him a look that proved him wrong. She catches on quick, I like this girl, Bickslow thought to himself as he eyed her still.
"You're attempt to throw me off guard is cute, but nice try though." Hazel shots him a kind smile.
"Doesn't hurt to try."
"Same rules, same stakes. Agreed?"
"Agreed." He pushes himself away from the trunk of the tree to start forwards only to stop when he saw Hazel's contemplative expression.
"I do have one request though. Lose the visor."
He would have thought that her tone would be authoritative instead it was gentle, as if she was being cautious about her request. Bickslow quirks an eyebrow in confusion. Why? What is she hoping to see? "No can do, girly. I keep this on for a reason."
"I know you have eye magic, I just don't know which technique you use."
An idea popped in Bickslow's mind when she figured out what kind of magic he had. Maybe he could make it a reward instead of just exchanging names. "Here's an idea. Like you did with shorty, if you win, I'll remove my visor as a reward."
Hazel considered his suggestion for a second, except she is curious of what he would like in exchange. "What do you have in mind if you were to win?"
She suddenly became guarded and Bickslow noticed. What kind of secrets are you hiding, girly?
There are few things that he is curious about. For one, the emerald on her arm since it's a precious gift. Those glasses of hers are another. He can tell that those lavender spectacles are not for reading or subpar eyesight. Her perception is top notch. But the one thing that really had him curious is the flexible metal armor that is on her lavender belt. What exactly is that used for?
"I have several things in mind, but I'm more so curious about that armor you have on your hip."
Hazel eyes Bickslow with uncertainty, distrust starting to settle. "You want to know its purpose."
He remains quiet, observing her behavior as it shifted from being anxious to cautious. Oh yeah, she is defiantly hiding something, but I'm not going to push this one.
"Seeing that you are being cautious about it, I'm not going to push it. I can just settle for your name, giraffe legs." Bickslow grins once he sees her annoyed expression.
"Giraffe legs?" Hazel echoed with irritation.
"It's either that or your name, girly." He grins proudly, getting a little anxious himself now that he has her blood boiling with irritation.
"Oh, I'll tell you my name. I may even let you in on what the purpose is for my armor. That is if I can trust you with that knowledge as I don't trust people so easily anymore these days." Hazel replies as she readied herself.
Hmm, what does she mean by that? Bickslow just grins as he leaned forwards with a hand motioning towards her. "Ladies first."
"Hmm, just my luck, a gentleman." She replies jokingly before going in for an attack.
When she leapt forwards to deliver a kick, in the back of her mind she could tell that she made the best decision in joining Fairy Tail to rebuild her life. Especially when she felt a weight lift off of her shoulders and has a wide smile.
A/N: Well, there's the first chapter. Sorry for the length, the chapters are going to be long.
If you see anything that needs to be fixed, altered or see any errors, please let me know.
Otherwise, thanks for the read and don't forget to review, constructive criticism is welcomed as well.
Chow for now!