Looking For Salamander
A/N: Hello everyone and welcome to another foray into the Fairy Tail universe. For those of you who are familiar with my stories, I welcome you back. For those of you who are not familiar with me, I welcome you and hope you enjoy what will hopefully be the first of many chapters.
As is per usual with most of my writing, I've had this idea in my head for a while now and it has refused to go away. After debating with myself and talking about the idea with two other FT authors, I decided to bring this story to life. I honestly have no idea why I torture myself like this but now that I've put pen to paper, I'll do my best to commit to this story.
So, with that being said, this story is a Military/Reporter AU. I've tried my hand at writing a military themed FT story before…but it just didn't work out at the time. Now, I feel more comfortable with what I have here and hopefully I'll be able to see this one through. I apologize if I get a few things wrong about the news industry; the military is more my forte, not the media.
As always, I hope you will give your honest opinion with your review and if you have any questions regarding this story feel free to ask it in your review which I will either reply to in the next chapter or respond to ASAP, or, you can PM me; whatever works for you!
WARNING: This is one of the few stories I've written where I'm giving it the "M" rating right from the start. Although it won't be constant, this story will contain harsh language, violent content related to warfare, along with sexual and mature themes. This story will also tackle the theme of combat related Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Reader discretion is advised.
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Fairy Tail; Hiro Mashima and Kodansha Comics USA own it. If I did own Fairy Tail…well let's just say some things would be different.
So without further ado, let's begin!
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DESCRIPTION: Five years had passed since he had saved her life and now she's determined more than ever to find him. The only problem is that she has no idea who he is. But as one of Magnolia's best investigative reporters, the truth is never far from her reach. Now if only that quirky, pink haired mechanic she befriended would stop acting so weird around her then maybe she'd be able to make some progress.
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CHAPTER 1
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"It's been five years since Channel Five's own Lucy Heartfilia was taken hostage by the insurgent group known as Phantom Lord. Miss Heartfilia was on her first overseas assignment covering the insurgency in the Alvarez Empire when she was captured during a surprise attack. For three weeks, the rebels held Lucy against her will while making ransom demand after ransom demand in exchange for her freedom; demands her family were quick to cave into. However, instead of freedom, Lucy was still held prisoner by the rebels each time the ransom was collected and was kept on the move and out of reach of the authorities.
It wasn't until an anonymous source finally managed to relay Lucy's location to the Military of Fiore and a rescue mission was quickly planned out. The Army's elite Special Forces were quick to act. Striking fast and hard, those brave soldiers retrieved Lucy under heavy fire and brought her home. Many thought Lucy would never recover from her ordeal, but, she surprised us all by remaining steadfast with her recovery and facing any obstacle that came her way.
Lucy Heartfilia has since become one of the most recognized and beloved reporters on the airwaves in addition to becoming an award winning author, whose stories of adventure, magic, and friendship have won the hearts of many.
Despite her busy schedule, we were able to sit down with Lucy for an interview about her experience along with asking her about her future plans."
The television screen cut from photos and video clips to the interview that had been held a few days before, now being aired on the six o'clock news for all to see. She couldn't suppress the small chuckle at how out of place she thought she looked, being in front of a camera and in her own home instead of the TV station while her coworker, Andrea, sat down in front of her.
Even with all the limelight she found herself in over the past few years, home was home, and the thought of being put on the spot in a place where she felt most comfortable had been a bit unnerving. But she hadn't let her uneasiness show. As she did whenever she was on the air, she kept her composure and greeted the camera with a smile.
They went through the usual greetings and introductions; she answered some basic questions; and even answered some questions posted by viewers and fans from social media. Then came the part she knew everyone was waiting for.
"…What was it like?" Andrea had asked, "Being held captive like that?"
"It was…" She had bit her lip, chewing on it out of nervous habit and thought.
"It was terrible, like a living nightmare. I was always being moved around from a dusty room or to a dirty cell…bound and gagged…not knowing if I was going to be tortured, raped, or shot and left in some ditch somewhere. My friends and family were always on my mind and it was my faith in seeing them again-in knowing that people were looking for me-that kept me sane through the whole ordeal."
It had almost been nauseating remembering her time as a hostage. Even as she recalled the events, she could still remember every sight, taste, touch, and smell. Her stomach had churned more than once but she fought it back, determined to not let her memories get the best of her.
"I can't even imagine what that must have been like." Andrea had said sympathetically.
"I don't think anyone truly does until they've been through something like that." Lucy countered, unable to mask the slight bitterness in her voice.
"Your time held captive lasted for about three weeks until rescue finally arrived. In true Special Forces fashion, the raid happened at night. What can you tell us about that night?"
"My guards had spent most of the day beating the hell out of me, something they loved to do, before they left alone for the evening. It was around midnight that one guard had returned to my room for another round. I was scared out of my mind and had literally crawled into a corner to try and get away from him. But before the man could do anything to me, the soldiers arrived. I remember seeing movement behind the man and before I knew what had happened, a soldier had driven his knife into the guard and killed him. That same soldier confirmed my identity and told me they were there to take me home…I had never been so relieved in all my life. But…"
"But?" Andrea asked.
"Things went south pretty quick after that. A sniper team that was overlooking the village I was being held in spotted a guard about to get the jump on the rescue team. They shot the guy down but inadvertently made him fire his weapon; something to do with the body reflexing or seizing up from being shot or something like that. The gunfire drew the attention of his comrades and, well, I think you got the idea. We tried to get out of the building but were forced to run back inside; it was a full blown firefight from there on out."
"From the official statement the Army released about the rescue, in the course of the fighting, you and a soldier had been separated from the main rescue force and had to flee into the nearby forest."
"That's correct. A rocket had hit the building we were in and caused the hallway to collapse. We had to go a different way outside and by the time we got out, everything had gone to hell in a hand basket and we had insurgents chasing us. So we ran for most of the night in the forest before we stumbled upon an abandoned farm. We hid there, thinking we had given Phantom Lord the slip. The soldier I was with was able to reestablish radio contact with his team but the fighting had gotten so bad that they were unable to come get us. They had a lock on our location but we'd have to hold out until dawn until reinforcements arrived."
"It sounds like something out of a Tom Clancy book." Andrea had said with wide eyes.
She'd given a humorless chuckle, "Books are one thing, real life is another. Especially with what happened next."
She had paused then, becoming lost in thought for a moment before she finally snapped out of her stupor. Andrea urged her to continue.
"Dawn came but Phantom Lord finally caught up with us. They started shooting the barn we'd been hiding in so we fled to the house. When the house was nearly blasted to pieces, we ran into the nearby field, hoping to escape to the other side of the forest. That's when they started shelling the field. With mortars landing all around us, the soldier and I took cover in an old drainage ditch…well, to be honest, he tackled me to the ground and draped his body over mine to protect me."
"How noble." Andrea had commented.
"The bombardment crept closer and closer to us and then, all of the sudden, we were blasted out of the ditch. A mortar shell had landed close enough that it had tossed us into the air. But still…that soldier held onto me with a death grip, even as we rolled on the ground. We tried to stand and run but Phantom Lord's insurgents were waiting. They began to shoot at us. Most were terrible shots-for which I am grateful for-but a few got lucky. A bullet hit me in the shoulder, while another hit my leg; knocking me down. The soldier, already wounded from the blast, covered my body with his once more and…and I…I can still remember how his body jerked when he got shot."
"Oh my God…" Andrea whispered.
"He took the bullets that were meant for me…" Lucy said, eyes clouded over; lost in thought. She came to her senses once more and cleared her throat while wiping the tears out of her eyes.
"So…just as Phantom Lord was moving in for the kill, the Army appeared at the last second and saved the day. Cliché, I know, but it's true. They brought fighter jets, helicopters, and an entire platoon of other special forces soldiers. The Phantom Lord insurgents were promptly wiped out. I was quickly rushed into an awaiting helicopter but they had to pry me out of my protector's grip to do so. The last I saw of him was that his body armor had been ripped off and that another soldier was beginning to administer CPR. Then exhaustion finally caught up with me and I blacked out."
"Do you know what happened to the soldier who saved you?"
"…No." She had answered after a lengthy pause, "And I still don't."
They had taken a break then, which gave the editors a chance to add in a quick commercial break before the interview resumed. When it returned, she and Andrea were all smiles again. It was weird to watch. They talked about her recovery, her time in the hospital and her reunion with her family and friends, how she faced the media frenzy that surrounded her, and how she pressed forward with her life; determined to not let her protector's sacrifice go in vain.
And that had covered her story up to the current day. With that, the final round of questions came.
"So…what's your plans for your next novel? We have it on good word from your publicist and manager that it's going to be quite the ambitious read."
"You could say that." She had laughed, "But yes, my new novel can be considered ambitious. I want to break away from the fantasies I craft, if only for a little bit, and tell my story; about my time being held captive and then being rescued."
"So it's a biography?"
"In a manner of speaking. Yes the story will include details about my life and how I wound up in Alvarez, but I mainly want it to focus on why the insurgents singled me out, what I endured over those three weeks, and the men who risked their lives to save me along with details concerning the soldiers themselves."
"So does that mean you plan on interviewing the Special Forces team that rescued you?" Andrea quirked her brow.
"That's correct. I'm working with a contact I have in the Army to help me see if it's possible to find those men, if they aren't on deployment, or help me track them down if they've since retired from the military. If that doesn't work out then…well…I have my ways."
The two women shared a knowing laugh and Andrea scribbled some notes onto her legal pad.
"What is the message you want to convey to the people who will read this book?" Andrea then asked.
"I want it to be a message of hope, strength, and courage." She had said, "That no matter what happens, you should always hold out hope for a better tomorrow or future. That if you have a goal, you should remain steadfast in pursuing your goal and to never be afraid to take a few risks. Much like I and the soldiers who rescued me had to do. That is the message I want to create for this book."
"I love it already. And when can we expect to see this thriller hit the shelves?"
"Not anytime soon unfortunately. Like I said, I still have to get my interviews done and write it all out before I can even dream of submitting it to my publisher."
"Well, given your previous works, I for one believe that it'll be an insightful and gripping read and that I'll be one of the first ones in line to get my copy."
She'd laughed with Andrea and the interview came to a close.
With a sigh and slight smile, she turned off her LCD TV and stared at her reflection in the screen. She didn't recognize herself for a minute as it was hard to believe that five years had already come and gone since that nightmare ended.
If someone had asked her where she thought she'd be in five years, she would have automatically told them she imagined herself becoming an intrepid reporter making it to the prime time slot and delivering breaking stories, asking the tough questions, and interviewing some of the most recognizable faces in Fiore.
She had been one of many who would have killed for the opportunities that she had been given…but the thing was, ironically, she literally had killed to get where she was. Under a hail of bullets and on the run from insurgents to be precise.
…With a black clad soldier taking her by the hand the whole way, assuring her that no matter what; he'd protect her. He'd kept his promise to her; he'd gotten her out of there by the skin of her teeth. But the thing was…she didn't even know if the man was alive or dead.
And it was this unanswered question that had haunted her ever since that day.
For although it was true that she wanted to write a book about her experience, the main reason behind it all was that she wanted to figure out what happened to the special forces operator who had saved her life and if possible-provided he was still alive-properly thank him for what he did that day.
To put it all bluntly: she needed answers.
She needed to find him.
She wouldn't be at peace until she did, nor would her curiosity for the truth be satiated.
And so with a slight groan, Lucy Heartfilia stood up from her couch and stretched her back, enjoying how her spine popped and cracked all the way before making her way to her apartment window. The high rise was one of the few things she'd spent some of her families money on, loathe as she was to admit it. On the plus side, the apartment offered a great view of the city and nearby lake. Plus the neighbors didn't stick their nose into her business all that much (for which she was grateful for).
She once again found herself staring at her reflection. Whenever she looked at herself, she didn't see a woman with beautiful, long and flowing golden blonde hair. She didn't see the soft, doe like brown eyes or the fit and curvaceous figure.
No. What she saw was a woman who had survived hell and had come out the better for it.
She was no longer the mousy, college grad turned intern who was looking to prove her worth to herself, her father, and coworkers.
She was no longer the hostage, whose neat clothes had been ruined and bloodstained while cuts and bruises covered her skin.
Now she stood tall and confident, unafraid of whatever challenge life threw at her, and determined to live her life how she wanted.
Lucy Heartfilia? We're here to take you home.
She sighed, heavily, and closed her eyes. It was times like this-of self-introspection-that she could recall his voice.
RPG; hit the deck!
Take my hand and don't let go!
Shh…let them pass.
I'd hate to tell you this but help isn't coming anytime soon. We'll have to hold up here until back up arrives.
Take this, it'll keep you alive. This is my sidearm; it's an FN FNX-40. It has a fifteen round magazine plus one on the pipe. That means you have sixteen, forty caliber bullets preventing you from a meeting with the almighty. Don't waste them.
I wouldn't expect you to know how to shoot. That's why I'm going to teach you.
Miss Heartfilia…Lucy…I promise you, no matter what, I'll get you home.
RUN, RUN! DON'T STOP!
LUCY!
The ringing of her phone startled her out of her memories and it took her a second or two to calm her heart. Walking over the coffee table, she was expecting to see the name of her manager appear on the caller ID. She had probably just seen the interview-not that she hadn't seen the final cut a thousand times already-and was more than likely hysterically raving about how great she'd been, how her fans and followers on Twitter and Facebook were going nuts, and how she already had ideas or plans for some other grand scheme of hers.
Honestly, as much as she liked that woman, she could be more than a hassle at times.
She was pleasantly surprised when she saw a different, and more welcome name appear on her phone.
"Hello Misses Redfox," Lucy answered the phone, "shouldn't you be grading spelling tests and taking care of two little rascal's right about now?"
"Oh Lu, you were wonderful!" Levy Redfox (nee McGarden) gushed, "I'm so proud of you!"
Lucy giggled, feeling the warmth of her oldest friends delight wash over her, "You really think so? I felt so awkward and out of place."
"Oh stop, you owned that interview from start to finish. The twins loved it and you even impressed Gajeel."
"My God, hell has frozen over." Lucy gasped in feigned shock, "I, Lucy Heartfilia, managed to impress big bad, grumpy Gajeel. Is this a sign of the apocalypse?"
"Oh hush, you know he likes you. You and I both know for all that blustering he does, he's a big teddy bear on the inside."
"I can hear you shrimp!" Came her husband's snarky reply in the background, followed by the delightful laughter of their twin son and daughter.
"Daddy's a teddy bear, daddy's a teddy bear!" They chanted.
"Love you too dear." Levy called pleasantly back, "Shutora, Yaje; settle down please, mommy's on the phone with Aunt Lucy."
The fracas in the background quickly quieted and Levy let out a tired, but content sigh.
"They're certainly a handful." Levy mused with a chuckle, "You know for being a kindergarten teacher, you'd think I'd be used to my house being a circus."
"You're the one with a husband, two kids, a cat, and a white picket fence, not me." Lucy quipped, earning a snigger from the both of them.
"So…is it really true? You want to find the guys who rescued you?" Levy asked.
"Yeah, it's true. I've already started on digging up some background information on the unit. Hopefully I can talk to Laxus soon about helping me get some leads."
She had wandered into her office at that point; the room in her apartment where she did the majority of her writing and news pieces. It was a slightly organized mess at this point, with her laptop and work related papers scattered across her desk while the information for the book was set atop the table that ran along the wall.
She picked up a small packet of paper that read: 777th SPECIAL FORCES REGIMENT-"THE DRAGON'S".
The unit's insignia, a shield with a dragon holding a rifle in one claw and an olive branch in the other, dominated the front page. Behind it, all the relative information she had so far gathered on the unit.
"I already know what I'm looking for but I need more than what I've gathered from online and in books…and the occasional internet forum." She added with a sheepish smile.
"Laxus? As in your cousin who's in the Army? He's that source you were talking about on TV?" Levy asked.
"Bingo." Lucy said with a pop of her lips.
"You really think he'll help you. Isn't he, like, kind of an ass?"
"He's an ass, but he's a loveable ass." Lucy sighed, "Kind of like Gajeel."
"…Not going to argue that one." Levy chuckled.
"But honestly Lucy, won't Laxus get into trouble for helping you? I mean, if he does agree to help you that is."
"I never revealed my source." Lucy smirked, "As far as the Army knows, I'm talking to someone in their ranks and they have no idea who that may be."
"It won't take them long to figure it out," Levy countered, "they have people who specialize in that sort of thing; scary people, if I might add."
"Which is why the quicker he helps me, the lesser the risk of his superiors finding out. Honestly Lev, the man has been in the Army for half his life; he's bound to have worked with these spec ops guys at some point. He has to know something."
Levy sighed again, "You're not backing down on this aren't you?"
"When have I ever done that?"
"If you get into trouble for this, I never heard a peep from you." Levy added.
"My lips are sealed." Lucy said with a smile.
"Good…you really have your heart set on finding this guy, don't you?"
Lucy smiled softly, absentmindedly twirling a lock of hair around her finger.
"I have to know Levy. Dead or alive, one way or another, I have to know. I owe everything to him."
"Do you think he's alive?" Levy asked.
She paused for a moment, remembering how torn up he had been the last time she'd seen him; the blood that seeped and spilled from his wounds; how his comrades frantically worked to save his life; and how even near death…his hand still sought her out, fingers clawing at the dirt as he tried to finder her.
It was this image that always helped reaffirm her resolve.
"I don't think Levy…I know he's alive." Lucy said with conviction.
"…Then I know you'll find him Lucy." Lucy could hear the smile in her friend's voice, "Just be careful. And keep me posted, alright?"
"You know it."
"And we really need to meet up sometime soon, it's been ages!"
Lucy gave a hearty chuckle, nodding her head in agreement, "I know, I know; soon…I promise."
"I'll hold you to that."
The two women shared a laugh before bidding one another a good night. Lucy smiled as she stared at Levy's picture in the caller ID. If there was one person she could always count on in this world-aside from her late mother and a select group of friends-it was Levy. They had first met when they were in grade school and they had remained as thick as thieves ever since.
Which made it all the more better in knowing that there was someone else out there who knew how important her personal search was.
She traced her fingers across the dragon insignia on the packet, a sad but fond smile gracing her lips.
"What is your name?" She had asked him.
"…Salamander." He had said, "They call me Salamander."
"Soon…" she whispered to herself, "soon."
The ringing of her phone brought her back to reality once more. Glancing down at it, she double blinked before letting out a nervous, heavy sigh.
It was her manager, at long last.
Knowing she couldn't postpone the inevitable, Lucy swiped the answer icon and braced herself for what was to come.
"…Hi Edna." Lucy said tentatively before her eardrums were ruptured for the night.
"DARLING!"
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"Are you sure this thing doesn't look too bulky on me?" Lucy asked, adjusting the chinstrap on her PASGT helmet before fiddling with her low set ponytail.
It was a rather beat up looking thing, given to her by the studio back home, that seemed to have weathered its fair share of storms. The same went for the Kevlar vest she had been given too. The only thing that set them apart from the military models was that they were painted peacekeeper blue and had the words "PRESS" printed on them in big, bold letters.
"You look fine Lucy." Jason smiled, pushing up the brim of his own helmet as he brought the camera up to his eye, adjusting the lens.
"I think the people back home will take you looking like a tank over getting blown up any day."
"You really need to work on your bedside manner, you know that right." She deadpanned.
Jason simply grinned as he took a wide panning shot of the soldiers escorting the two of them along with the armored personnel carrier they had been traveling in.
Jason was the only guy she knew at the studio who was the right level of crazy to have volunteered to go along with her to Alvarez. No one back home wanted to come near this country and had called her bat shit insane for even thinking of wanting to go in the first place.
She didn't blame them.
The Alvarez Empire dominated the western continent of Alakitasia and was regarded as one of the premier superpowers in the world with one of the largest standing armies on record. However, this factor didn't mean that life was easy in Alvarez. With most of its economy devoted to maintaining its military and defense spending, money and resources were always being diverted in one form or another away from the civilian population and programs that would benefit them.
This had led to internal strife amongst the empire with various insurgent groups forming and then plaguing the military and populace in an attempt to overthrow the government. Over the years, the Alvarez military had done a fairly good job of eradicating the rebellions and maintaining peace and order.
But over the last decade, one insurgent group had risen to become the premier threat to Alvarez government. Phantom Lord had started out small but through negotiations with other insurgent groups or the violent killing of said groups, Phantom Lord had shown the government that they were a force to be reckoned with.
They were vicious, and as it seemed, they were everywhere.
From their hit and run tactics, their brutal treatment of civilians, to even the kidnaping and killing of foreigners, Phantom Lord would stop at nothing until Alvarez was theirs.
Things had gotten so bad that with their overseas assets and citizens being targeted and killed in some cases, the various nations of Ishgar had deployed military peacekeeping forces to help Alvarez combat Phantom Lord and ensure stability remained in the empire.
Although the capital city of Vistarion was well defended, it was towns, villages, and small cities like the one Lucy currently found herself in where the fighting was at its fiercest. You either had to be incredibly brave, stupid, or military and police if you decided to take a walk in one of these places as fighting could break out at any minute.
And in Lucy's mind, it had been too great of an issue-of a story-not to ignore. She had been with the studio for only a year and was only now just being allowed in front of a camera; her intern status still following her around like the plague. But she had been dogged in wanting to make a name for herself and show that she had the right stuff for the job.
It had been like pulling teeth, but she finally convinced the studio to let her cover the fighting. She had managed to convince the higher ups that with no foreign news station covering the fighting, there was an opportunity for the studio to strike it big with the coverage. They'd have exclusive interviews, footage that no one else got to see, and recognition for bringing the fighting to the public's awareness. And, possibly even, investors.
And Channel Five would be at the center of it all.
Sure it was slightly more underhanded than she would have liked-riskier even-but if there was one thing Lucy had learned from her father, it was that some of the biggest risks had the biggest payoffs in the end.
And payoff it did. She'd one over the execs and after a rather lengthy wait, they gave her a press badge, a waiver to sign from the studio, clearance from Fiore's Ministry of Defense and the Alvarez government, and then off she was sent with Jason in tow.
Upon arrival in Alvarez, Lucy had expected to immediately be sent to where the action was. Instead, she was given a protective detail that took her and Jason to where some of the recent battles had long since ended. It was a bit relieving, knowing she wasn't going to me shot at-yet-but at the same time, a part of her desired to capture the fighting first hand and deliver the gritty intensity she had promised the studio.
This had gone on for the last seven weeks and today was proving to be no different. The only change being was that her protective detail was meeting up with another squad outside the local government house in order to conduct a security sweep of the town.
"Alright, we're all set. You ready?" Jason asked as he focused the camera on Lucy.
Lucy took a quick look at the notes she had in her hand along with the script she had prepared and took a calming breath.
"Ready." She said with a confident smile. Jason gave her a thumbs up.
"We are live in three…two…one…action."
"This is Lucy Heartfilia reporting to you live from the Eastern Provincial Government House in the Alvarez Empire. Behind me stands one of the last vestiges of law and order in this region of the Empire as government troops and law enforcement work tirelessly to combat the terrorist group known as Phantom Lord. " Lucy began, making sure to keep her voice level and in control.
She never got the next sentence out of her mouth as a series of high pitched shrieks filled the air.
"Mortars!" An Alvarez solider cried out, "Take cover!"
Neither Lucy nor Jason had time to react as there was a deafening cacophony of thunder and an overwhelming wave of pressure as the two of them were knocked off their feet. They rolled on the ground for a minute before coming to a stop. Her ears were ringing and her head throbbed. It took her longer than she thought it would have, but Lucy slowly pushed herself up onto her hands and knees. Blinking slowly, she began to look around her.
Jason lay on his back, looking winded and confused, but otherwise seemed okay. He was already pushing himself up on his elbows.
Smoke and dust filled the air along with the caustic scent of burning flesh. There was another explosion, just down the street, and she looked to her right in time to see the APC erupt into a ball of flame as the Alvarez troops scrambled for cover next to the nearby buildings.
Looking to her left, she saw a series of smoking impact craters a few dozen yards away. The mortars, she realized, along with the bodies ringed around them; the soldier she had been traveling with. Most of them had been perforated with shrapnel, their bodies ripped open and lying at odd angels. One soldier had lost his head, another was missing from the waist down, while for one…all that was left was his arm.
For the others, all that remained were bloody smears in the street.
One soldier, bleeding profusely, was still alive and weakly calling for help; his voice lost in the sounds of the battle that had erupted around them. She and Jason had just stood, ready to run to the soldiers aid when out of the haze, three men emerged wearing bandanas to hide their faces and brandishing AK-47 assault rifles.
"Phantom Lord!" Jason had gasped as one of the men emptied his rifle's magazine into the dying soldier, ending his suffering.
They then set their sights on Jason and Lucy. The second soldier raised his rifle and fired a short burst; Jason screamed and fell to the ground, one hand clutching his stomach while the other his leg.
"Jason!" Lucy screamed just as the insurgents descended upon them. She felt a sharp pain as an insurgent hit her upside the head with his rifle. Her helmet was knocked loose and she tasted copper in her mouth as she hit the ground, watching as one of the insurgents violently kicked Jason in the head.
The first insurgent slung his weapon and hauled her to her feet, grappling with her arms as she deftly tried to break away.
And then it all began to dawn on her: she was being kidnapped.
Captured.
Taken hostage.
It all instantly brought her world back into focus and made her adrenaline surge. Her fight or flight response came to life. She kicked out her foot on instinct, nailing the man right in the groin and bringing him to his knees as he let out a stream of curse laden profanities.
She turned to run, not sure where she was to go, only knowing that she had to get away. But the third insurgent was quick to react and lashed out with the butt of his rifle, hitting her in the back and knocking her down. She scrambled on the ground, trying to clamber away but all too quickly her arms were wrenched behind her back and she was forcefully hauled to her feet once more.
"Let go of me!" Lucy cried out as she struggled against the insurgents grip, "No! Let go!"
The insurgent finally wrapped his arms around her, restraining her. No matter how hard she kicked and struggled, it did nothing to free her.
"JASON!" She screamed, "JASON HELP!"
"Shut your mouth you stupid bitch!" Her assailant snarled as his partner, now recovered from his kick to the balls, roughly shoved a chloroform rag over her nose and mouth. The world began to spin and fade away. She could faintly hear Jason still calling out to her.
"LUCY!" His voice echoed out, "LUCY!"
LUCY!
And with a gasp of fright, Lucy bolted awake-upright-in bed.
Her breathing was fast and shallow, a cold sweat running in rivulets down her skin, while her body trembled with the memory of her capture still fresh in her mind's eye. There was no time to catch her breath as she felt her bile quickly rise. Slapping her hand over her mouth, she scrambled out of bed and into the adjoining bathroom to her room.
After a while, her violent retching ceased and she rested her forehead against the cool porcelain of her toilet. Her trembling had died down to only the shaking of her hands and legs and Lucy numbly stood, flushing the toilet as she did so.
She stared at herself in the mirror, noting how much of a disheveled mess her nightmare had left her. Her skin still felt cold and clammy, her hair was matted to her skin, and she just looked tired. Even after all the therapy and medication her father had put her through, the nightmares were still as strong as ever.
It wasn't always this bad. Sometimes it was worse or mild depending what triggered it. A certain sound would make her twitch sharply or other times the memories would become so strong that the moment she got home from work, she'd shut down for an hour or two before she was able to function again.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, her doctor had called it. She'd heard about it before with cases ranging from accident victims to soldiers returning home from combat. But she never thought she'd be one to endure it like so many others and her respect ran deep for those who struggled with PTSD.
She sighed heavily and stripped out of her sweat soaked pajamas, turning on the shower faucet until the bathroom was filled with steam. She let out a pleased sigh, however, when she stepped under the showerhead and let the hot water cascade down her body. She then sat down and simply let the water soothe her shaking away and warm her from the outside in.
Showers, she had found, were her way of coping with the nightmares. No matter what, the water seemed to wash away her pain and cleanse her, if only for a little while. But, it was enough for her.
Running her hand through her hair, Lucy let her hand trail down and across her shoulder and leg, her fingers brushing over the now smooth gunshot wounds, before finally tailing along her stomach where the healed knife wound was. Another inch and she would have had to have her right kidney removed. She just thanked whatever deity was watching over her that the woman who had tended to her afterwards was able to properly clean and stitch the wound and secretly sneak her some medicine.
"I wonder if your scars have healed…" She mused aloud, thinking of Salamander, "Or if they're always with you, like me."
Do you wake up in the night, sacred and frightened from your nightmares?
Did you have trouble readjusting to everything?
Do you think of me and wonder if I'm doing alright?
Did you…not make it after all?
She squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head. She wouldn't dare think of the possibility of him being dead. Like she had told Levy, she knew he was alive…somewhere, out there.
Standing and turning off the water, finally feeling relaxed, Lucy braced her arms against the wall and let the water drip off her body, still basking in the last remnant of steam.
Soon, she'd begin her search for Salamander.
Soon, she'd have her answers.
XXXX
The day had started off rather well.
Despite the episode she'd had the night before, Lucy had awoken well rested and in a good mood. She'd gone for her usual morning run the park and had broken her previous time by eight minutes; when she returned home and made breakfast she didn't burn her omelet like she usually did; and she even managed to pick out the perfect outfit on her first try.
After that, she gathered up all her information on the 777th, hopped into her mother's candy apple red 1970 Chevelle SS, and made a trip to the library downtown. Being a reporter granted her special access to the libraries more restricted online databases and she was going to use the hell out of them to get every shred of info she could find; God bless the freedom of information act!
She spent a majority of the afternoon looking up the unit's history, their known missions, force deployments, notable appearances or references in media, who had interviewed unit members and command staff, and so on and so forth. She was surprised by the limited amount of information she was able to come up with.
According to what she learned, the 777th Special Forces Regiment had been created during the last Great War when Fiore and the Pergrande Kingdom were going head to head and the need for specialized units arose to strike hard at enemy forces. After three years of brutal fighting, the Regiment had established itself as Fiore's premier Special Forces unit and had helped play a decisive role in forcing Pergrande to peace talks after several, devastating raids into Pergrande territory.
Since then, the Regiment had served in every major conflict and peacekeeping action over the last sixty years. But that was all that Lucy was able to gather. Sure she had seen the units name pop up every now and then in an old newspaper article or online source, but for the most part, 777th was one of the Army's best kept open secrets. She couldn't even find a casualty listing for the unit, their actual unit strength and size, nor where their home base was located.
Hell, the only reason she knew to look at the 777th in the first place was because she recognized the unit insignia Salamander had worn on his uniform when she had been browsing the web one night!
All she had to show for her research was what anyone could find in a military history book. She needed solid leads; she needed to talk with people who served in the unit or knew people who served. Which was why at some point during the coming week, she was going to harass Laxus until he agreed to help her…if he could for that matter. He would probably tell her to leave him or call her something rather colorful. And she would in turn threaten to tell Grandpa Makarov about what had happened at last year's family Halloween party. Or if she really wanted to make the man squirm, she would threaten to tell Makarov the truth about what Laxus had done to his beloved Land Rover.
It was a foolproof plan, Lucy thought with a devious smirk. Underhanded, cruel even? Yes. Would she actually go through with it? No. For all their bickering over the years, Laxus had been the closest thing she had to a brother growing up and she would never break a promise made to him. But that didn't stop her from scaring him every now and then…like any good "sibling" should.
With that in mind, Lucy decided to call it a day. She sighed heavily as she left the library, deciding to run out to do some quick errands before getting a bite to eat.
Fate, however, had other plans in the form of a rather nasty pot hole.
She had tried to avoid it, but the bane of every traffic goer's existence proved to ever be wicked as ever when her front tire dipped sharply in and out of the hole with a heavy, metallic "CLANG!"
"That sounded expensive." Lucy grimaced, sucking in air through her teeth, as her car began to make all kinds of weird noises while listing to the right.
Parking to the side of the street, Lucy got out and inspected her car. After a quick assessment that certain parts shouldn't be where they were, Lucy dug out her phone and pulled up Gajeel's number. One of the perks of being friends with Levy was that Gajeel, who worked and ran his own auto body shop, was usually on hand to help her with whatever car trouble she may have and that as a "family/friend referral" she got a discount on her repair bill.
"Redfox Automotive, Gajeel speaking." Gajeel grunted upon answering the phone.
"Hi Gajeel, its Lucy, sorry to bother you."
Gajeel sighed heavily and muttered something under his breath, "What is it this time bunny girl?"
"I hit a pot hole and my car is all messed up, can you come take a look at it?"
"Where're ya at?" Gajeel sighed. She could imagine him rolling his eyes right about now.
"At the corner of East Gate and Magnolia Drive."
"I'll be out there in thirty minutes with the two truck. This better be important unlike the last time."
"I told you, I'm not good with cars!" Lucy whined, "How was I supposed to know that it needed an oil change!?"
Gajeel ended the call there and left Lucy to stew in her embarrassment. But, true to his word, Gajeel arrived when he said he would. After taking a look at the pot hole that Lucy had hit, he made a quick call to a friend of his in city maintenance, before coming back to inspect her car.
He let out a low whistle when he saw the damage, "How old is this thing?"
"My mother had it for years and kept it in practically mint condition. She loved this thing and made sure it was always in tip top shape…why?" She replied.
"This shouldn't have happened if the car was in as good condition as you say it is; something's wrong with this car. Either way, I'll bring 'er in."
"Thank you Gajeel." Lucy sighed with a grateful smile. Gajeel simply gave a dismissive wave.
"Ah, don't sweat it. If I didn't help ya, Shrimp would've never let me hear the end of it. Besides, I'm glad you didn't flip your car on that damn pot hole or things could've gotten worse."
"Yeah, there's always that." Lucy swallowed hard with a weak smile, dreading the idea of her starting or dying in a pile up.
From there, Gajeel set her car onto the flatbed of his tow truck and gave her a ride to his shop. It was a larger, more modern shop compared to the one he and his dad used to work out of on the old side of the city. Now, instead of being crammed into a small garage with only one or two other workers on hand to help, Gajeel managed and worked in a shop that could service up to seven cars at a time with a fully staffed team. It was a success story that was news worthy, Lucy mused with a slight smirk. Gajeel would never agree to an interview however; he'd just as soon rip the camera apart than do such a thing.
Parking the truck outside the shop, Gajeel gestured for Lucy to follow him.
"I'll have one of my best take a look at yer car." Gajeel said over the din of power tools and machinery, "I haven't met a busted car he hasn't been able to fix."
They soon came to a sedan that was raised just slightly off the floor. Beneath it, a man lay on his back as he worked on the underside of the car. His foot tapped to the beat of a nearby radio that was blastingmusic by Disturbed; it was a miracle he heard anything at all given all the noise that filled the shop.
"Natsu." Gajeel said, raising his voice more than he already had.
The man didn't respond. He kept tapping his foot and working on his project.
"Natsu!" Gajeel said again and still got no response. He began to growl in frustration and Lucy took that as her cue to back away.
"Hey dumbass!"
Gajeel kicked the radio away-silencing it-before slamming his fist down upon the hood of the car; hard. The man beneath the car gave a startled cry, lurching up and summarily hitting his head on either a pipe or the undercarriage if the heavy "THUD" and "CLANG" were anything to go by.
"AGH! MOTHERFUCKER!" Natsu cried out in pain as he shoved himself out from underneath the sedan.
"What the fuck's your problem man!? I was right in the middle of my favorite song and then you come slamming your fist down on my project like it's your old fucking drum set, what the hell!?"
Gajeel cleared his throat and pointed to Lucy. Natsu followed the extended digit and when his eyes landed on her, he blanched in a mixture of surprise and embarrassment.
"Uhm…hello." Lucy gave an apprehensive smile.
Natsu scrambled to his feet and quickly wiped his hands on his coveralls, calling himself an idiot all the while under his breathe. Now that he was standing, Lucy was able to get a better look at Natsu. He was tall, broad shouldered, and his messy hair was long enough that it could be tied back into a short ponytail. He also had the most unusual hair color she had ever seen; she couldn't remember the last time she'd seen someone with salmon pink hair.
"I'm so sorry, I had no idea you were there; I swear it." Natsu apologized, the frantic look on his face making Lucy giggle.
"Is this how your workers deal with all your customers, Gajeel?" Lucy teased. The man simply pinched his brow and gave a haggard sigh.
"Lucy, this is Natsu Dragneel; my cousin. Natsu, this is Lucy Heartfilia."
"I know who you are." Natsu smiled, making Lucy furrow her brow slightly. Had they met before? She thought she'd remember meeting someone as…"vibrant" as Natsu.
"You're Lucy Heartfilia; everyone knows who you are." Natsu continued, extending his hand to her, "I see you on the TV all the time and my mom and sister love reading your books."
"Oh, right!" Lucy answered quickly and shook Natsu's hand, "Sorry, I forget that I'm a bit of local celebrity."
"I saw that interview of yours last night; you're a remarkable woman." Natsu said with a wide smile.
Lucy averted her eyes in slight embarrassment, still not truly used to receiving such praise even after five years.
"Thank you…" She said before looking to Gajeel, "Your cousin, you said?"
"Yep." Natsu and Gajeel answered together with Natsu pointing his thumb between the two of them, "Can't you see the family resemblance?"
"…Not really, no." Lucy deadpanned.
Natsu gave Gajeel an incredulous look but the man simply rolled his eyes and flicked Natsu on the forehead, making him wince sharply.
"C'mon. I've got a new job for you, courtesy of Miss Heartfilia here." Gajeel said, making Natsu raise his brows at the challenging tone in Gajeel's voice.
"Can he fix my car Gajeel?" Lucy asked. If she lost her mother's car, she was pretty sure she would literally lose her mind. That Chevelle was one of the few things she had left of her mother and she was not keen on losing it.
"If it's broke, odds are Natsu'll either fix it or make it worse than it already is." Gajeel said with a slight cackle, making Natsu roll his eyes.
"That's not very comforting." Lucy swallowed hard.
"It was one time you ass." Natsu grumbled, "One time. And you know I was just starting to get back into the swing of things."
"More like twelve times, plus the added property damage." Gajeel continued to smirk.
"Can we just look at this damn car, please!?" Natsu growled, throwing his hands up in exasperation. This only served to make Gajeel cackle harder as he led Natsu and Lucy back outside. Natsu let out a low whistle when he laid eyes on the Chevelle, an appreciative smile on his lips.
"A 1970 Chevelle SS; one of my many dream cars." Natsu glanced at Lucy, "You've got good taste."
"You can thank my mother for that." Lucy quipped with a smile as Natsu hopped up onto the flatbed as Gajeel pointed out the obvious and not so obvious damage. Natsu gave a dubious smirk as he looked from Lucy's car and back to her.
"What'd you do, go over too many speedbumps in pursuit of your next big story?" He sniggered.
Lucy puffed out her cheeks and crossed her arms, "Oh as if! If you must know, I hit a pot hole on my way to the store."
Natsu's smirk slowly diminished as he blinked in thought before looking to Gajeel with his brow furrowed; confusion plainly written on his face.
"A pot hole did that?" He asked, pointing to the busted tire and axel.
"Yep." Gajeel said with a pop of his lips, before giving a rough depth guess with his hands, "About this deep."
"Odd, that shouldn't have happened." Natsu frowned, tapping the metal of the car with his knuckle.
"I mean, this car looks pretty well maintained and these old cars are built like tanks."
"I said the same thing, which I is why I'm letting you handle this. All bunny girl and I need to know is can you fix it?" Gajeel asked.
"Of course I can fix it, I'm not one of those schmucks from Quatro Cerberus." Natsu rolled his eyes, "You and Gajeel can work out a payment when I'm finished. Speaking of which, when do you need this back?" Natsu turned to Lucy while Gajeel sauntered back into the shop.
"As soon as possible if you're able to, please. This is the only car I own and I practically drive everywhere in it." Lucy said, nervously twirling a lock of hair around her finger.
Natsu hummed in thought, tapping his chin as he did so. He studied the damage for several moments before he looked over his shoulder with a grin on his lips.
"I can have this baby back in action by tomorrow morning, I guarantee it." He said with surety. Lucy arched her brow, surprised by Natsu's optimism and confidence.
"Tomorrow? Are you sure about that?" She asked, incredulous, "I mean…look at it! The right side is a complete mess. You really expect me to believe you can have it fixed by tomorrow?"
"Nothing I haven't seen before." Natsu smirked gesturing to the shop, "Ask anyone around here and they'll tell you that I can make any car work like its brand new in no time."
"Really?" Lucy smirked, crossing her arms, "'Like its brand new' you say?"
"Really; I have the magic touch." Natsu countered with a toothy grin and wiggled his fingers playfully.
"I bet you do." Lucy smirked with a role of her eyes. She watched as Natsu began to methodically inspect her car, muttering to himself about what needed to be fixed and how he was going to fix it.
Occasionally, he'd look up from his work and give her a bright smile. Lucy gave a smile of her own and found that in spite of herself, despite Natsu's obvious quirkiness, there was something…comforting about him.
Whether it was the comfort in knowing that he wouldn't destroy her car or another matter entirely, Lucy couldn't say.
All she knew was that there was just something about Natsu Dragneel that she liked.
XXXX
A/N: So…? What do you guys think? Is this story off to a good start? This chapter was mainly just character and world building, so I apologize if there was an information overload at some points.
So, to start things off, we're introduced to Lucy and Natsu and the alluded events of five years prior. We know what happened…but we don't know how it all happened. Which means everyone's favorite word: flashbacks! When it comes to flashbacks, I'll do my best to even them out so we get the right mix between the past and the present along with more than Lucy's point of view as she interacts with Natsu and searches for the elusive Salamander.
I know some things may seem clearly obvious…but, at the same time, don't you love a story where the reader knows something that the characters don't and you just want them to figure things out so badly? Yeah, this is that kind of story…where things build up until the truth is ultimately revealed in its entirety.
On a quick side note: do I feel bad for putting that "Edna" reference in there as an attempt at humor? No. No I do not. The opportunity was too good to pass up and I couldn't resist! Don't worry, this'll probably be one of the only times I mention her by name so don't expect much more.
As far as updating this story goes…I'm not sure to be honest. I'll be starting a new job soon so I imagine things are going to be a bit crazy for me as I adjust to my new schedule. The good news however, is that with this new job being full time, I'll have a fixed schedule once again and that should help me in planning out my writing time and staying organized.
But, as always with me, I just have to let these things play out and see what life has in store for me next.
In the meantime, I'm going to work on finishing up the double update I have planned for "Vendetta" and then I'm going to finish off "Business and Pleasure." After that, I'll working on updating "Vice", "Songs From the Sea", and "Between Light and Shadow". I may also devote some time to something else I may have or not have in the works but we'll see how things are going for that.
As per usual, if you guys have any comments or questions, please put it in your review and I'll make sure to respond to you in the next chapter. If you have anything else that you wish to ask me or clarify, you can PM me and I'll do my best to respond ASAP.
Until next time; read, review and most importantly of all, HAPPY READING!