Summary: Lucy Heartfillia, an underground doctor, runs a halfway house for Fiore's underworld. You wouldn't believe who turns up in the middle of the night looking for a shotgun.
A/N: The "Earthland" that this AU is set in is sort of Edolas-esque technologically, without the limited magic constraints. The setting in itself is modern though, with modern cities and such.
Enjoy!
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There's banging at the door, and Lucy grimaces at the drool stain on her sleeve. She's fallen asleep on top of her desk again, a black ink stain no doubt gracing her right cheek. The crappy desk light flickers in her cramped basement quarters, mismatched furniture and cots strewn about across the room. The large metal door swings open without a squeak, and a hulking man stands leaning on the frame.
"Back again, Laxus?" Lucy suppresses the urge to damage him further out of spite, getting up from her lumpy-ass couch and striding across the room. She greets him with a smile that becomes manic as she sees his injuries, a budding "why the hell don't you care about about your own limits" speech on her lips. There's a hole in his right shoulder and left calf, and there's rings under his eyes from exhaustion. Lucy takes the assault rifle that the hitman was using as a crutch, letting him lean on her as she deposits him on the nearest gurney. His eyes look glassy, but his insufferable smirk is resilient even as as she begins cutting away his expensive suit. She finds two knives and a low-grade explosive in the breast pocket and a leather gun holster forming an "X" across his back. His dress shirt- usually pressed and starched to perfection is spattered with red. Lucy is about to remove it, when she spots something glittering at his collar. It's a chain, with a single gold signet ring hanging at the bottom. The crest, set into the metal is both intricate and gruesome- three daggers piercing a single bloody red heart. Lucy knows it well, sees it in her dreams and on the blank white ceiling when she lays awake at night.
It is hers, after all.
Ornate and ostentatious, mixed feeling bubble to the surface. They're in stasis; Lucy is almost entranced, but there's no hint of emotion on Laxus' face as he lets her examine it. The ring is a memento from another lifetime, a constant reminder of the skeletons in stuffed their shared closet. A symbol of his chains, of his servitude-
He wears it anyways.
When Lucy Heartfillia was eight years old, her family was one of the most wealthy aristocratic houses in Fiore. Laxus had come into her father's service just three years older than her in age, a gambling chip in some deal made behind closed doors. They lived together, were almost-friends and equals for five years, until Laxus was moved overseas to take care of Jude Heartfillia's international assets. His potential was "wasted", her father had said, on domestic jobs. Lucy had lost contact with him after that. Forgotten about him, even. A house fire that kills your entire family and everyone you who ever cared about tends to have that effect.
What a way to go out it was. With mounting debt from an investment gone wrong, multiple assassination attempts and an impending investigation from the Royal Palace, her parent's deaths had certainly been the talk of the town for a long while. There's a five-inch long scar on her stomach, and the smell of burning flesh doesn't leave her, even in her adult life. With their deaths also came the most god-forsaken complicated will that Fiore has ever seen.
They were business associates, angry clientele, law enforcement- the whole nine yards banging down on the door to her house- or the metal frame of a door anyways- to get to her. This wasn't even the beginning of her struggles. There was an undiscussed arranged marriage to some creep ten years her senior that Lucy hadn't know about, more debt, and a lovely secret underground mafia network run by a distant to discover.
Were all of those other things terribly annoying? Yes. But with secret mafia organizations come secret employees, and here came the biggest bombshell. There were always whispers in the hallways of the mansion of "Mad Dogs", but Lucy hadn't known what it meant, not until her parents died.
Mad Dogs were people. Jude Heartfillia didn't simply employ men overseas, ones who could be turned with the wave of a checkbook or briefcase of cash. No, he demanded monsters. They were well-known across the lands as capable of leveling an entire country, rumored to have heinous criminals in their midst.
Upon her parents death, Lucy, a eighteen year old, came in possession of many… unique work contracts, to put it lightly. Through some form of magic, there were individuals that were bound to lifetime servitude of the Heartfillia bloodline. Such contracts could one be broken if the servant died, or the master was killed.
As they were magic, the specifics of each contract weren't available to her, so she had no idea who was employed under her… unless they came and found her first.
Lucy, that instant, gave up on the notion then that her parents had simply been killed by a house fire. She had become the master of rabid beasts, who would spring at her the moment she lost control over them. And control, she did not have at that moment. What was Lucy to do?
Around that time, Laxus Dreyar, returned from "overseas" and crashed in her empty house for three days while she was away dealing with hordes of people who wanted a piece of her. She'd walked up the stairs to her small apartment, when there were… suspicious noises coming from her kitchen. Noticing the many years empty kitchen suddenly had… Lovely smells wafting from it, she discarded the thought of an intruder. Low and behold, there was Laxus, her comically frilly apron hanging from his broad shoulders as he turned around to see her. Lucy remembers the next part the best though- the skinny teenager she'd known now a goddamn man on one knee pledging his allegiance to her, as a mad dog. The first to make contact with her, the tenth head of the Heartifilia family.
Later that night, they set the empty complex on fire, maximum heat. Lucy Heartfilia, in the case of the century was declared dead after many years of investigation.
Lucy, just Lucy, set up shop as an underground doctor in some out of the way farm town three months later, moving locations every now and then. And one day in the mountains, a year into her hermit lifestyle, a blue-haired man with bandages covering half of his face and a bunch of funny long sticks fell out of the goddamn sky-
Laxus flicked her forehead, teasingly. "Oi shitty Doctor, I'm still bleeding out here." Lucy, snapped out her trance, apologized quickly and stripped off his shirt, beckoning for him to lie down on the table. He cracked an eye open at her. "Whether you like it or not, you're stuck with me for some hella long time, girl."
They'd been over this particular argument a great deal of times. "Why don't I get a say in it? It's not like you owe anything to me, now that my father's dead."
"Maybe I don't. You're not getting rid of me just yet though, Blondie."
Lucy unapologetically sticks the tweezers into the bullet wound on Laxus' shoulder, amused at how her almost-blind patient tenses up, even if he tries to hide it. The bullet drops onto the metal tray, and she moves to the bullet wound on his calf. "So? What brings you to the capital? It's rare that you're here during the winter months."
"I was coming back to the capital to meet up with some contacts, caught wind that Mystogan and Titania are in town."
A grin fights to the top of her concentrated features. Tying off the last of the stitches, she then disposes of the dirty rags that were used staunch the blood. "I haven't seen him and Erza since that raid in Edolas a year ago! He isn't still doing that falling out the sky like a shooting star transport spell right?" A pregnant pause. Both she and Laxus feel a cold sweat down their backs.
Lucy looks around nervously, surveying the room. "I'll prepare some casts and back braces just in case…"
Laxus coughed, and continued. "Heard they busted up another slave trafficking ring up in Hargeon three months ago. The bastard's a tough one."
"He is! Though… A little dense sometimes…" She trails off, awkwardly. "We should meet up."
Laxus quirks an eyebrow. "What, and risk getting swarmed by the feds? I'm wanted in, oh, maybe a dozen countries? Not to mention that Erza and Jellal are internationally known spies, and you're a dead heiress."
"You're no fun," She pouts. "Maybe… I could order some sushi, like old times, and have it brought here?"
Laxus' face gives away that he isn't completely on board, but the loud grumble from his stomach answers for him. "Fine. But they can't stay for long- you bitched for like an entire month the last time you got compromised and had to relocate."
He stands, cracking his neck and grabs the black, somewhat sullied coat from the chair where it was tossed earlier.
"Thanks for patching me up, doc," he calls over his shoulder. Lucy thinks he looks a little ridiculous, half-bandaged and topless, walking for the exit.
He doesn't make it to the door, though.
It swings open on its own, the face of the Captains of the Royal Guard- Gajeel Redfox and Juvia Lockster supporting a bleeding Crown Princess Princess Hisui between their shoulders stand in the frame. Laxus and Lucy have never seen them in person- too dangerous. They're too distinctive not to recognize though- they look exactly like they do in the projection lacrimas. There's a slash wound to the princess' side, the usually impeccably pinned into place tiara held in a gloved hand.
"Yo, witch doctor. There was a coup," a smooth and level voice of Juvia Lockster, the head of the Princess' guard calls from the door, looking worse for wear. Lucy's on her feet instantaneously, barking for Laxus to grab a clean set of tools from the back. He doesn't move though, assuming a defensive stance, eyeing Juvia's counterpart, red eyes and all.
"Now you listen you, if you do anything to harm the princess, I swear-" Juvia's Lieutenant, Gajeel Redfox is in through the doorway right behind her. He eyes Laxus suspiciously, eyes shifting between him and the princess. Laxus stares right on back, wary.
"Lucy! I knew you were still alive and kicking somewhere," Juvia grins, approaching the resident doctor and grasping her hand. Redfox looks as if he's had a bucket of cold water dumped on him. Seeing Lucy's amiability for the woman, Laxus relaxes and turns heel to grab the supplies that were demanded of him.
"You-you know this woman?!" The Lieutenant sputters a bit, pointing.
"Of course! Lucy and I go way back." Gajeel, endlessly flustered, continues to point an accusing finger between the two girls, supporting the Princess with the other arm until apprehensively laying her down on the gurney brought by Laxus. "I've known you for close to a decade! How come she never came up?!"
"It wasn't relevant?" It's a flimsy excuse, but the crown princess bleeding out on the table seems catches his attention again, and he calms.
"How'd you find me anyways?" Laxus appears behind Lucy, handing her a tray of bandages, surgical needles and thread, then settles down on a couch, content to nap through the chaos. Not missing a beat, Lucy and Juvia both begin stripping the bloodied gown off of the patient.
Dutifully, Gajeel turns around as the Princess enters a state of undress. Juvia takes over the conversation in the midst of wrapping wounds. "There was some chatter that there was a doctor who served both over and underworlders in this slum, and Gajeel and I were running out of options. Assassins killed the king and his chief of staff two hours ago. The palace is overrun but for some strange reason the enemy hasn't identified themselves yet, or what they plan to do now. We were looking for a place to keep Hisui for the time being before we could launch a counter-assault. Never thought it'd be you, though."
"Are you insulting my hiding skills?" Lucy directs at Juvia, playfully.
"Why, me? Never in a million years," the famed fighter, Ame-onna, says innocently. Known for her unparalleled skill in water magic, Juvia Lockster hadn't been handpicked to be Captain of the Royal guard on some whim. Lucy doubted there were few fighters in the country stupid enough to try and challenge her, much less back her into a corner. It made their situation much more dangerous. The attackers must be foreign, Lucy thought to herself.
Lucy turns to Gajeel, who had began shifting around the room, peeking through closed blinds and scouting for security. "There's no need to do that, Redfox. We're far enough away from the palace that with the manhunt I doubt they managed to follow you guys all the way here. Even then, I have an eleven-circle defensive spell on this place- people can't just enter unless I've given them prior permission," Lucy to stop his pacing as she works.
A devious idea crosses Lucy's, looking up from the cut that she had just finished stitching at Juvia
"So. Who's the musclehead? Boyfriend?" she whispers, conspiratorially. Juvia laughs good-naturedly, amused but unaffected.
"What are we, in high school? The crown's princess is bleeding out and you're talking out about my love life?" Juvia fires back. Said crown princess was thankfully, blissfully unconscious as a result of a few cc's of anesthesia.
"Hey! I haven't had anyone else but sleazy, unconscious drug dealers; assassins, mercs, hitmen, mob bosses as conversation for months, not to mention the years I was deeper underground and on the road before that. When am I gonna have time for girl talk but now?" She'd guess the Captain and Lieutenant relationship was no deeper than friendship, albeit a close one. She and Juvia went their separate ways after short-lived but wild ride of a partnership during their teens, when Lucy had run away from home for the first time (the first of many such episodes) and met Juvia on a corner in Italy, looking to stretch her wings. That was a long time ago though, and Lucy is glad that her friend had found someone reliable.
"What am I, chopped liver?" Laxus calls from the couch.
"You're not good for girl talk, is what you are."
The princess gets covered with a blanket, and the four settle on the chairs strewn haphazardly across the room. Redfox still looks tense, Lucy thinks, but then again his face could simply be set like that permanently.
"Girl's wearing a lot of fancy event clothing. Ceremony?"
"Nothing official, just a lunch with some ambassadors."
Laxus, half-asleep, perks up. "From which country?"
Gajeel still looks defensive. "We can't tell you that-"
Juvia silences him "Chill, Gajeel. They're trustworthy. Lucy probably knows enough dangerous intell to endanger national security many times over already," she drawls. Annoyed, Gajeel sags in his seat, tension radiating off of him but overall more pliant.
"A princedom in Edolas. Princess was looking to an extend an olive branch to settle the matters of migrant exceed displacement, what with the influx of people immigrating into Fiore after the Lacrima Wars."
Sitting at attention now, Laxus continues. "Who were the ambassadors?"
"Let me think… There were two heads that were at the table, a Segrain and a Knightwalker. We don't know where they went after the scuffle- the power got cut and we were too busy trying to get the Princess out."
Lucy and Laxus share a glance.
"Unless someone is using their exact same aliases, that's the name fucking Fernandez and Scarlet use whenever they're deep undercover " Laxus say, low enough that Juvia and Gajeel can't hear, but defiantly would like to be privy of. Lucy slaps a hand over her forehead, the twinges of a headache caused by someone doing something stupid the most likely cause.
"They weren't affiliated with a country, period. Why didn't they mention it?"
Miffed, Juvia cuts into the whispering. "Hey, share the love will you? Lu, I'd hate to arrest you for obstruction of justice." Lucy throws a middle finger at her, but then turns to face her and Gajeel seriously.
"Laxus and I believe that we might know the identities of the attackers. For all of our safety though, I can't reveal more information until we know more." Neither Juvia nor Gajeel were satisfied by her answer, but Lucy wouldn't accidentally endanger Jellal and Erza without knowing the full situation. For all she knew, she could accidentally blow up an entire mission, because Jellal Fernandez did not take missions solely for money.
Lucy leans back, massaging her temples for an oncoming headache. She knew she couldn't keep up the life of a quiet sketchy doctor forever, even if she wanted to.
"We need to drive the enemy out before they possibly get reinforcements and take Fiore, and announce Hisui is alive before the government collapses." She pauses, and looks up from her clenched hands.
"Is there anyone inside the palace still alive and kicking that can help?"
Gajeel pulls out a blood-stained notebook from a chest pocket and rifles through it. "The offices in the lab are nearly impenetrable- it would take a magic attack large enough to level the city to break down their defenses. We can stock firepower there- our defense research department is located in the right wing… Head Defense General Loke is probably also still alive, that motherf*cker wouldn't die that easily-"
"F*cking hell." The headache has arrived, and Lucy has surrender to it.
"What's wrong?"
"He's one of mine." Laxus mouths mad dog at her, and Lucy moans, sinking down into her armchair.
"What do you mean he's one of yours-"
"Laxus, you're right, I give up, this is some fate-sponsored orgy that my father sent from the afterlife just to spite me." The man throws his head back and laughs, Gajeel still confused.
"What?"
"Nevermind." A bit listless, Lucy pulls herself off the chair, the exhaustion of having performed two surgeries setting in. Jogging to her desk, she quickly pens a note and rips it off the pad.
"We need to get to the palace, stat. Juvia, Laxus and I will take the castle. Gajeel, when the fighting dies down, take
the Princess to this address-" she hands him the scrap of paper, "and lay low. There's a red book of contacts behind the bookshelf if you need help. They're my people, I trust them." Gajeel seems hesitant, but grudgingly accepts. Turning on heel, Lucy grabs a black bag and long, noodles jacket sitting next to the desk.
She, Laxus and Juvia disappear into the night.
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A/N: Hope you liked it! Leave a review? Next Chapter: The Castle