Warnings: Rated for torture, abuse, and subtle mentions of sexual abuse through the story. We will cover that as it progresses. Chapter edited 8/24/18.
When Freed could get them, he liked his solo missions.
Really, he almost never took one. The Thunder God Tribe could take on a lot more difficult jobs together, and were used to traveling for long periods of time. He wouldn't have even considered one this month if Ever hadn't gone off with Elfman, making some lame excuse about why she had to go. His other teammates followed her lead, and soon he found himself needing to do something to fill time.
Bickslow was out of the question. He'd been hanging around the guild hall more and more, and although Freed assumed he had his eye on someone he hadn't yet figured out who. He wasn't quite as obvious as Evergreen. Still, he refused to go on any jobs, coming up with one lame excuse after another. Freed eventually let him be.
With Laxus out on his own mission, it gave him a rare opportunity to go out alone and make some additional money. He didn't actually need it this month, but it would be nice to cushion his accounts. Besides, the job he took was very easy, and should only keep him away from the guild for a day or two.
Help defeat some lame guy in Crocus who kept robbing people? Piece of cake. The award wasn't worth much, but stretching his skills on his own would be a nice change. He was so accustomed to working in a team most days he still had to remember to go solo every now and then.
The job was already done, the money resting in his pocket as he looked for a room for the night. It only took one day, and he could afford a luxury with the extra allowance.
The neighborhood he was presently in wasn't the best, and Freed crinkled his nose as he walked. The alleyways around here had the distinct smell of urine. He'd have to wander to a nicer part of town for the night. He had no desire to sleep here.
He hummed quietly as he walked. Silence was something to treasure in a guild like Fairy Tail, but he wouldn't be caught dead humming around his teammates. They would never shut up about it if he did so. Now was the best time for the added pleasure, and he would take it in strides.
Passing by one of the last houses on the block he paused, feeling an odd pulse in magical energy. He hadn't felt much in the last few blocks, but this house had an odd amount of it magic radiating off of it. Glancing to his left he studied the house, wondering about the faint magical presence.
His eyes narrowed, taking in the scripture above the door even as the sky darkened. It was getting late, and he shouldn't bother with the home.
He wouldn't bother either if he hadn't noticed the rune magic on the building. To an untrained eye it might go unnoticed, but to Freed it was glaringly obvious that it was there. The enchantment placed on the house was stranger still.
A spell to keep someone inside without exception. It wasn't too detailed, but the point was clear.
Freed pursed his lips. That seemed like a peculiar spell to place on a house. Why trap someone inside? It didn't look like a friendly place. As he approached the door he felt the magical energy around the house change, suddenly pulsating as he stopped out front.
A very powerful mage was trapped inside, or hiding. Perhaps there was a reason the individual was being withheld by the spell. He considered leaving, deciding that he didn't need to get in anymore trouble for one night, when something cause his eye.
An emblem, like the one on his hand. It was a snatch of fabric, torn off of something. The fabric was half buried in the dirt outside, and if Freed hadn't been standing right there he wouldn't have noticed. He didn't need to pick it up to immediately realize what it was.
Fairy Tail.
He glared at the door with renewed interest. If a member if the guild was trapped inside it was well worth his efforts to try and free them. He couldn't leave a fellow comrade behind.
Drawing his sword, he broke the protective ward with ease. Whoever enforced it didn't seem to have a lot of experience with magical scripture. Vaguely he wondered if the homeowner was inside and if he'd have to put up a fight.
It didn't matter. If a member of his guild was held hostage then it wouldn't make a difference if the owner was home, he'd have to get them out either way.
The door practically came off its hinges when he pushed it open. He knew the building was in bad shape judging by the outside, just like the rest of the neighborhood, but he was startled by the loud creek it emitted. It was in even worse condition than he originally thought.
Well, so much for sneaking in quietly.
Looking around, it didn't seem that the homeowner was there, but he felt the magical presence increase as he walked through the front of the room. No doubt, the person trapped had to be a mage of Fairy Tail.
He just couldn't fathom who.
Following the strong magical pulse he wandered into the basement, only encountering one other spell along the way to deny passage. Just like outside, he took it out with ease. Whoever installed the spells appeared to have no idea what they were doing.
He swallowed his words as he reached the basement, his hand almost falling off his sword. He inhaled sharply, unable to process the sight before him.
Lucy.
She was trapped on one side of the room, the space barren aside from a long metal table. He sidestepped that, deciding he didn't even want to think of the uses for that, keeping his eyes on the unconscious mage. Even though she was lying on her stomach he recognized her immediately, her hair unlike anyone else's in the guild. As he approached, he realized how bad of a condition she was in.
She was pressed into the floor by some sort of spell, the runes dancing around in lazy circles over her entrapped body. Wherever the magic touched her exposed skin – and there was a lot of it – it seemed to be slicing into her. Her clothing was torn into pieces, blood dripping around her body into a pool beneath her. Her skirt, or what was left of it, left very little to the imagination and without the blood he imagined he'd be able to see more than he wanted to.
Freed tried taking a breath to keep himself in control. He could already feel his magical power growing, infuriated that a member of his guild was beaten so badly.
Who the hell would dare do something like this to a member of Fairy Tail, and to one of the kindest mages at that?
She whimpered, startling Freed. He hadn't realized she was awake. He crouched down carefully, trying to see her eyes. They were hidden behind a lot of matted hair, and it didn't look like the position her arms were in would allow her to move it. Her eyes cracked open slowly, crusted over with blood.
She screamed.
Freed expected her to react terribly, looking like she'd taken quite a beating. He didn't however expect the magical runes surrounding her to tighten, squeezing in on the girl to cut deeper into her already torn skin. She wailed, the pain in her voice dancing off the walls around them, echoing back at Freed.
He had to do something to calm her down. She was only causing herself more pain.
"Lucy," he stated, trying to speak over her cries of pain without sounding aggressive. He kept his voice as calm as possible, hoping it might soothe the mage. "Please, try to calm down. I know it hurts. This is Freed from Fairy Tail. We know each other. You have to relax so I can break the spell surrounding you."
She didn't quiet, panicking further when he tried to reach out soothe her. Likely he wouldn't be able to touch her skin, but he could at least try to ease her worries. He recoiled, watching the panic rise up in the one eye he could see the closer his hand got.
"N-no! Leave… me alone!"
He was surprised. He'd never heard of the blonde begging someone before, especially on her own behalf. She dissolved into cries, her tears mixed with screams as the magic continued to press in. He pulled back, trying to block out her criess.
How was he supposed to calm her down? The fastest way would be to break the enchantment holding her, but if she was frightened from him reaching in her direction he imagined drawing a sword would cause her fear to skyrocket.
"I'm going to get you out of here," he continued, unable to do anything to stifle her cries. The least he could do was talk. He couldn't soothe her, and if panic caused the runes to contract and crush her then he didn't have the time to sit around and try to figure this out.
Deciding he could deal with her fear once she was free, he pulled the sword from its sheath and studied the runes. This spell was nothing like the previous ones he encountered. This was complex and thoughtful, meant to hold her down in place.
He couldn't just counter it.
He tried to gently shoosh the crying girl, not daring to consider who would hurt her so badly or why. Instead he focused on the script in front of him, picking apart the rules with ease.
According to the rules of the rune magic,Lucy wouldn't be able to break free from this without her keys. She would need someone to break through the magic, or better yet remove the enchantment. But he had not seen her keys since entering, and with the little clothing she still had on he could tell they weren't with her.
It didn't take long for Freed to pick it apart, raising his sword to break the enchantment with ease. The spell broke with a crash, like glass splintering on the floor. He took a shaky breath as the tension in Lucy's body suddenly gave out, watching as her body sank into the floor when the magic released. He sheathed his sword once again, unwilling to step forward for a moment and frighten her.
She reacted first, lifting one shaky hand up to her matted hair. She brushed back the haphazard strands until she was able to see him more clearly through her one eye, pieces of bloodied hair sticking to her face. She squinted at him, almost like she was having a hard time seeing. "F…Freed?"
He gave her a soft smile, grateful she recognized him now. Kneeling down beside her he noticed her eyes widen, but she looked too weak to do anything else. Without the magic in the way he could see gashes in her skin, like someone whipped her raw. Through the blood he could make out the remains of the back of her shirt, held together by a few strings at best.
"Yes, it's Freed," he replied, studying her. He had a dozen questions in his head right now, all of which were begging to be asked. But he had to focus on her right now and see what kind of damage they were dealing with. He wasn't in Magnolia; he couldn't just pick her up and rush her to Wendy. He'd have to do something about the wounds himself before she bled out anymore.
He needed to make sure she was stable enough to move and get them the hell out of that place.
"Wh-where…?"
"We're in Crocus," Freed said, reaching for her shoulder. He didn't intend to frighten her, but she did flinch away and he quickly retracted his hand, unsure what to do. Aside from Evergreen he didn't associate with a lot of the female members of the guild, and he wasn't certain he was reading her correctly. "Lucy, you need to let me touch you. I need to see the damage so I know what to do to help you."
Surprised, he watched as she squinted, her one eye he could see welling with tears. He didn't know what to do about that. He thought he was doing okay not scaring her, but maybe not.
"No."
"Lucy-"
"W-where are my keys?" she interrupted, her eye shifting away from him. He watched her shift painfully slowly, hissing in pain with each small shift. Even with her arms positioned under her she tried to push herself up, screaming in pain at the effort.
Freed reacted immediately, gently pushing her back down. She screamed from that too, but he tried to ignore it. He couldn't just let her get up and risk falling, causing further harm. She needed to pause for a moment and see what they could figure out.
Even if she was terrified, he couldn't just let her cause further harm when she was already suffering. He wasn't going to harm her, even if she did seem beyond reason right now. If he could get her to hear him out, she might be willing to let him help.
"I haven't seen your keys since arriving," Freed replied, removing his hand when she tensed up again. He watched the puddle of blood beneath her grow in size, and it only accentuated the urgency of checking her wounds. "I know you don't want to, but we need to shift you and get out of here. You need to go to the hospital-"
"No!" she cried, shifting her head to look up at him. He could see both eyes now, one seriously bloodied. If she could see anything out of it at all he'd be surprised. "N-no… I can't go. He'll f-find me. He… took my keys. I c-can't go without them"
"Who took your keys?"
Lucy shook her head, staring up at him with a blank expression. Whoever did this to her, she wasn't going to be open about it. With a sigh Freed reached towards her again, ignoring the fear in her eyes. He forced himself to ignore the panic in her one good eye, knowing she desperately needed to be stitched up. "I have to see how bad the wounds are, Lucy."
As though to accentuate his point, she shifted her shoulder and cried in pain. The skin was splintered, angry open wounds screaming every time she moved. Lucy relented, almost going limp in his hands as he gently shifted her. She cried out in pain when her back touched the stone, wiggling around to get pressure off her skin. She appeared dehydrated, and he imagined if she had enough liquid inside her she'd be shedding tears now.
The good news was most of the damage appeared to be on her back and legs, her torso and chest looking mostly unharmed aside from the dried blood. He did notice that she had just as little clothing left as in the back, but the blood covered most of her skin.
How could someone do this to a person? She was half alive in his hands, and he had a growing sense of urgency that if he didn't fix the wounds soon she'd pass out again.
He was having a bit of a hard time focusing as his vision went red, imaging beating the ever-living-crap out of anyone who stupidly showed up before they were out of the house. He never understood the pleasure in such torture, and he wasn't about to take it sitting down.
"We have to stitch the wounds on your back," he said, trying to remain calm. His blood was boiling as he looked over the damage. How dare someone harm another member of Fairy Tail and leave her so battered? "I have some supplies with me, but it's going to hurt."
Lucy said nothing, looking off towards the other wall. She had little to say, apparently trying to block Freed out. He sighed, letting go of her shoulder so she could roll over again, her stomach in less pain than her back. She grunted but otherwise remained quiet, eyes distant and unfocused. He wasn't even sure she heard him talking.
Freed made quick work of the largest marks on her back, using his emergency supplies to close the largest of the gashes. He almost didn't bring them along on his trip knowing it would be easy money this time around, but decided to just in case since he would be traveling alone.
He was quite glad he brought it along on after all. For her part, Lucy remained quiet except for her cries of pain. She was too weak to fight against him, her hands clawing weakly for purchase on the smooth concrete floor. He tried to zone those sounds out, knowing he needed to do this to make sure she didn't lose more blood, or suffer from infection.
The largest marks were four long streaks across her back, looking like they sliced through the majority of her clothing, leaving it in the tatters he found her in. They also seemed to be the most responsible for the blood on the floor. Once those wounds were closed he pulled back, looking at the little supplies he had left.
He'd have to purchase more before he could finish up with the smaller, less fatal gashes. Glancing at her legs he suppressed a blush, seeing how much skin was showing. It was more than usual, smaller cuts there as well. He definitely didn't want to bring that topic up to her.
"We're going to need to clean you up," he said, drawing her attention. He could see both her eyes now in this position, flecked with blood across the lids. She seemed to be fading in and out of consciousness, her one good eye somewhat focused. "I can't take you out of here like this, someone will think I tried to kill you."
Lucy didn't reply, and he took that as a bad sign. She couldn't pass out. He was worried she had a head wound, and he wasn't sure he trusted himself enough to close the wound himself. He couldn't do anything about it until they got out of the house, but the last thing he wanted to miss were the signs of a serious concussion. Her mind already seemed a little fuzzy anyway. When she remained quiet he decided to move forward, glancing at the steps.
He didn't want to be here too much longer. There was no telling when the bastard who did this would return, and he couldn't guarantee he'd restrain himself from a full-fledged fight.
"We're going upstairs," he continued on, gently roll her over again. Her head lulled, looking at him through bleary eyes. He slid his hands under her now stitched-up back and her knees, watching her eyes widen.
"I'm not going to harm you," he reminded, meeting her eyes. "You have my word."
Freed expected Lucy to weigh more, especially after all the jabs Natsu and Happy were always making about her weight. He knew she wasn't fat like they always declared, but she still weighed less than he expected. There was no telling how long she'd been there, and he supposed some of it could be due to malnutrition. She shivered in his arms as he turned, glancing around the room one more time.
He didn't see her keys, couldn't even feel extra magical energy. As far as he was concerned, they weren't there and he couldn't waste the time to search right now.
But why would someone take them? Sure, he knew the keys often got her into loads of trouble, but he couldn't see a motive this time around.
"What are you doing here?" he asked, climbing up the steps. He wanted to keep her talking and focused on something else besides the pain. Her breathing had increased as soon as he lifted her, and he could feel fear coming off her in waves.
"He brought me," she rasped, her voice becoming scratchy.
"Who is he?"
Lucy shook her head, dodging his question again. He let the topic drop, deciding he could ask her later. After all, he didn't want to make her even more upset.
At the top of the stairs he headed to the kitchen he' passed earlier, which had an open window looking out over the yard. If someone approached he would be able to see them, even in the dark. He didn't think the bathroom would be open, and Lucy was already scared enough that he didn't want to take her to such a small space.
"I'm just going to clean you up a little," he muttered, setting her down on the counter. She wavered a little as he reached for a towel, wetting the fabric. "I need to get a room for the night, and you're coming with. We will contact Makarov from there, where we know it's safe."
He didn't want to chance talking and letting whoever harmed her to have the chance to catch them here. Maybe she would feel better if she wasn't in this awful house anymore, and she might be willing to give him an idea of what happened.
Turning back he moved to run the towel over her face, worried most about her face and neck being smeared in blood. It would be hard to conceal those. Lucy caught his wrist before he could, her grip weak but the intention firm.
"I can do it," she whispered, taking the towel from him in shaking fingers. She wiped at the blood, leaving streaks on her forehead and cheeks. He stood back and watched her a moment, letting her do this on her own.
He may not know her well, but he'd heard enough stories about Lucy to know she was often determined to be helpful, even when she didn't need to be. She didn't need to clean herself up when he could help, but she was going to.
Freed reached towards the buttons on his jacket, undoing them easily. Lucy tensed in front of him, watching all of his movements with wary eyes. What little color there was in her face disappeared.
"I just want to help cover you up," he explained, seeing the fear in her eyes. Given her lack of clothing, he was afraid to ask what made her so timid. "It's getting cold out, and we will look a lot less suspicious if you're covered." He indicated to her face, watching her rub harder at her cheeks. "Plus, you'll have to clean up less here. We need to be going before whoever he is comes back. I don't think you're keys are here, so there's no reason to remain."
Lucy nodded sadly, dropping her arm now that she was almost clean. "I doubt t-they are here anyway."
She set the cloth aside, watching Freed carefully as he removed his jacket. He pulled the sword off, attaching the sheath to his pants before draping it around Lucy's shoulders, watching her eyes widen.
"We have to go," he said again, moving to carry her once more. She shook her head, hopping off the counter on wobbly legs. She held onto the counter a moment to get her balance, pushing her messy hair out of her face when she succeeded. The towel helped get some of the blood out, but she still looked like absolute hell.
The coat was much too big, hanging off her. At least she didn't look like she'd been beaten quite so bad anymore. Freed nodded, glancing out the window.
Still no sign of whoever trapped her here.
He led her out of the house, matching his pace to hers as they moved. She seemed absolutely exhausted, but determined enough to not allow him to help. It was kind of frustrating that she wouldn't accept his assistance, but he couldn't argue. She was timid enough without him getting grouchy over that.
They moved down the street, Freed eyeing the space around them the entire time. He didn't see anyone trying to advance, and he wasn't sensing someone hidden. Perhaps whoever trapped her really had gone away for a while and he wouldn't have to see them anytime soon.
It was almost disappointing. He wouldn't mind teaching them a lesson for harming another member of his guild.
"Where-" She cut off, clearing her scratchy throat before trying again. "Where are we going?"
"First things first, we need to find a hotel since you don't want to go to a doctor. Then we need to contact the guild and explain what happened. Where are the other members of your team?"
Lucy glanced down, her eyes refusing to look up and meet his. "I-I came on this mission alone."
"Well that certainly explains some of it," he muttered, placing a guiding hand on her back to turn the next corner. She didn't flinch this time, just glanced his way. She'd never seen him without his coat before, the simple dress shirt and pants a stark contrast to his usual attire. "When we get to the hotel, just let me handle it. You need to rest."
Lucy looked down again. She couldn't argue with that.
She sat on the one bed in the room, studying Freed. He sat across from her on the sofa, eyeing her right back. She had yet to take off his coat, afraid of what he might see in the better light of this building.
She was scared herself. She felt naked without her keys, and though she'd been in situations before where she lost them she'd never met an opponent so disabling before. Lucy couldn't quite remember when she lost her spirits, but she knew the mage placed some sort of spell over them to prohibit Loke or Virgo - or anyone else for that matter - from coming out.
Shuddering at the thought of him, she tightened her fingers on Freed's coat again. He was still watching her, a frown pulling at his lips. Her eyes danced over his face and moved on, not wanting to see the concern there.
"If you don't want to go to a hospital you need to allow me to dress the wounds," he reasoned, tapping the package in front of him. He'd gone out right after purchasing the room to buy more supplies, knowing the damage he still needed to mend on her skin. She hadn't fought him on it, but it didn't ease his nerves at all to leave her alone upstairs. He felt a lot better when he came in and found her sitting there uncomfortably but okay. "If you are well enough to travel to Magnolia tomorrow we need to go. Wendy can treat you there with ease."
"Of course," she replied quietly, keeping her eyes downcast. He sighed, and she knew he was growing frustrated with her. "I can bandage myself up. I'm not as weak, now that you helped hydrate me again."
There was a pause. "Lucy, how long were you down there exactly? How long have you been missing from the guild? I was back a couple days before taking this request, and I don't recall seeing you."
"I took it about a week ago," she responded, her voice low. She was digging her nails into the mattress now, reveling in how soft it was. She hadn't felt something so plush against her skin in days.
There was a rustling, and a moment later she gasped, finding Freed much closer than before. He crouched down in front of her, eyes glaring into hers. He reached up, smoothing his hand tentively over the one grasping his jacket. "You can't leave the wounds open. You need to shower the rest of the blood off so I can clean them."
"R-right."
He frowned. "Do you have enough energy for that? I'd draw you a bath, but the tub seems rather small. You'll probably just end up dragging those cuts painfully across the porcelain."
Lucy blushed at his thoughtfulness. She didn't know Freed all that well, but he was surprisingly attentive to her injuries. "I think I can stand a shower. I need to get… clean anyway."
Freed's expression darkened, his brows drawing together at her words. She expected him to intrude on her privacy like her friends, and readied herself for an argument. Instead he relented, pulling back from her to extend a hand. "Come on then, the sooner you are cleaned up the sooner you can rest."
She looked away as she took his hand, well aware of the dirt and blood under her nails. Freed didn't seem to mind, guiding her towards the bathroom. She found he'd already set out two towels for her, the shower door left open. She didn't even recall him coming in here.
"Shout if you need something," he said, grasping the door handle. With a curt nod he turned and left, leaving Lucy all alone in the small bathroom.
The last thing she wanted was to be alone right now. Turning she tried to still her shaking hands, slowly dragging Freed's jacket off of her shoulders. It pulled at her skin where blood dried to it, and she gasped when the item finally pulled away to pool on the floor.
Hell, that hurt. Swallowing a strangled cry she pressed her hands to the counter, afraid of looking up from the sink. She hadn't seen what she looked like in a week's time, and she knew the results were tragic. Freed's expressions were enough of a giveaway whenever he glanced her way, and if she wasn't sure she was an absolute wreck the odd or surprised looks people gave her on the way upstairs confirmed her fears.
Refusing to look up she glanced down instead, eyes widening at the state of her clothing. She knew it was bad, but not this bad. Her shirt wasn't even really together anymore, the bra underneath cut clean through. Her entire top was hanging open, her scratched nipples staring up at her. Her skirt was in similar disarray, nearly torn off her body. The remaining shreds covered absolutely nothing, and without Freed's coat she could feel a slight draft. Her panties beneath were at least intact, if not stained from all the blood.
Lucy hiccupped, trying to swallow down a cry. She hadn't had much time to think since Freed found her, practically ripping her out of that house. Now that she was alone she could survery the damage done, and all it did was cause the memories to flint through her mind.
She sank down to her knees, ignoring the jolts of pain it shot through her body. Her breathing hitched, quickening as she felt a panic attack setting in.
No wonder Freed wanted her to wear his coat. He probably couldn't stand the sight of her.
Fingers letting go of the counter she reached up to clench her hair, taking shuddering breaths that didn't do any good. Her eyes were watching, breathing going out of control as she sat there, willing the tears away.
A knock at the door did nothing to deter the panic. "Lucy? Are you alright?"
She couldn't answer, fisting her hands tighter into her hair. She would end up tearing it out at this rate. Freed knocked again, undeterred by her lack of response.
"If you don't answer I'll have to come in. Lucy?"
She gasped, feeling the water dripping down her cheeks. She couldn't help it. She hadn't had a chance to not be on edge in days, and it was wearing her down. It was the first time she'd been able to cry since she stopped receiving water.
The door opened, Freed slipping in behind her. She hiccupped, unable to control the tears as she cried. Her life felt like it was unraveling.
How dare he take her keys away from her?
"Lucy," Freed awkwardly said behind her. She could feel him standing there but not doing anything. "Are you crying? What's wr-"
She turned and wrapped her arms around his legs, crying harder. She missed this, any sort of human contact. She loved hugs, touches, anything that connected her to others. Other than him, she'd been deprived of it for a week.
Freed grunted, clearing his throat. She held on harder, grappling for anything in that moment. If he suddenly disappeared and left her alone again she wasn't sure what she would do.
He reached down, disentangling her arms from his legs before he sat beside her carefully, gasping quietly when she threw her arms around his shoulders. He pat her shoulder awkwardly, pulling back immediately when she hissed in pain.
Unsure where to put his hands, he settled for clasping them around her lower back where he didn't recall seeing any marks. It didn't cause her any pain, and she buried herself further into his grip, letting the tears soak his shirt.
She couldn't imagine letting go. If she did, she wasn't sure she'd be able to locate him again. He might disappear, like her keys and her spirit, sucked away by that god awful man.
Taking a shaky breath, Lucy lifted her head up enough to speak into his ear, letting her voice ghost across his skin. "Thank you, Freed."
A/n: Hello there readers. This is my first Fairy Tail fanfiction so bear with me. LucyXFreed was such an interesting pairing I had to try it myself. As you will find, my stories tend to be fairly dark and I believe Freed's magic will lend itself to that.
I'm not sure if this story will be continued or not. I'm really just feeling out the anime since I've never tried tackling this before. Please let me know what you think. If inspiration strikes I might continue, I try to make it my goal to update every couple weeks, sooner if possible.
Thank you for reading.