Lucy panted, her keys back on her ring. Blood was splattered on her cheeks, legs, and one of her arms. She was disgusted, but there was no time to think of that now. One last creature stood tall, eyeing her warily. Lucy was running dangerously low on magic power, but if she pushed herself just a bit harder she could end this. None of Fairy Tail would give up. I can do this. She switched to her Aquarius star dress, eyes never leaving the creatures'. It roared and charged forward, and Lucy leaped, spinning around it in midair as she put out her hands. Please work. Please work.
"Water lo-" An over sized claw swatted her from the air. She hit the ground hard, rolling to a stop. Dazed, she turned back to the creature, and realized what had hit her was in fact it's monstrous tail. It was barbed at the tip and curved outward with a smooth center. You've got to be kidding me! They have tails too?! Lucy wasn't able to move fast enough as the monster darted forward, locking powerful jaws around her left ankle. It tossed her to the side, taking a chunk of flesh with it. Lucy screamed as she sailed through the air, twisting just enough she saved anything vital from the impact. Blood pooled around her ankle, and she struggled to concentrate on the battle. I need to end this quick, but how? Urano Metria takes too long to charge. I can try water lock again, but I'm not sure how long I can keep that up. She stayed slumped against the wall, hands shaking as she once again locked eyes with the creature. It stalked toward her slowly, believing it had her. Lucy threw the last of her power into the attack, praying it would be enough.
"Water lock!" The creature thrashed inside a sphere of water, its glares turning fearful as it fought to breathe. Lucy refused to let up until its eyes closed and it slumped, signaling its unconsciousness. As soon as it hit the ground - so did she. She barely registered the announcer barking orders or the thunderous applause of the audience.
As the guild continued their search, the atmosphere became more and more gloomy. Lucy was the light of Fairy Tail, and with everyone on edge as the days turned into weeks, it was no wonder the rambunctious guild was so somber. After returning from searching the woods and the town, the mages came back defeated. Although the magic left behind was strong, no one could get a lock on who it belonged to. It didn't reek of a dark guild, and they knew it wasn't a slave trader. The answer came surprisingly from Gajeel, who'd gone undercover to see what the underworld knew. He burst into the guild hall, nearly ripping the hinges off the old doors. His expression was grim as he held up a lacrima.
"You guys will want to see this." Mira silently hooked it up to the guild lacrimavision, so everyone could see it. When she flipped to the channel Gajeel specified, everyone was shocked and horrified to see Lucy standing in an arena, a man in a lab coat gesturing wildly as he spoke.
"What the..."
"At least she's alive." The guild quieted as a creature stepped on screen. The guild watched, transfixed, as Lucy fought for her life. No one could help the pulse of pride that went through them at how well she handled the fights, but it became obvious after awhile that she was running low on magic. When she fought and won against the last creature, the pride they felt was replaced with white hot fury at the damaged state she was in. Juvia sighed in relief as she watched her friend use her move.
"Juvia is glad she taught Lucy-san that move." Natsu glanced sideways at her, but couldn't help agreeing. That move saved her life. The screen went dark as soon as Lucy collapsed forward and the announcer shouted that was the end of the first round. Everyone was reeling, unable to form words as they processed this new information. Levy stepped forward, her eyes blazing.
"Play it again." Everyone gaped at the Solid Script mage.
"You want to watch it again?!" Levy raised a hand, her expression fiercer than anyone had ever seen.
"Play it again so we can look for clues. I didn't see any natural light coming in, so they must be keeping her underground somewhere." The guild nodded but Mira muted it, no one able to take hearing Lucy's scream again. Gajeel's rough voice gained the attention of his guildmates once more.
"Wait...I know that man." Everyone's head snapped to look at him. He frowned but continued. "He goes by the Game Master. Jose used to work with him. But he hasn't been on the scene since Phantom bit it. What's he planning?" Makarov stepped forward, his voice eerily calm.
"Do you know where he hides?" Gajeel nodded, straightening.
"He has a few haunts I know of. I can give you a list but I can't guarantee he's still there." Makarov nodded and hopped on the bar counter.
"Alright brats. It's time to see our new friend." Natsu punched his flaming fist into his palm as the guild roared. Hang on a bit longer Luce. We're coming.
And that's chapter four! Looks like the guild might have a lead, but who knows? Thanks for reading and see you next chapter!
