He sat in the darkened corner booth, sipping his beer and keeping a watchful eye on the inn's other patrons. He kept his hooded cloak on, in case someone recognized him, and left his soundpods around his ears, though they were silent at the moment. He had heard rumors of a kidnapping ring around these parts, and he intended to get to the bottom of it. He thought that the duo on the other side of the room looked suspicious, but they had yet to say or do anything out of the ordinary.
He stiffened as he felt a magical presence. It was not particularly strong -if he was not specifically looking for any kind of magic-users, he probably would not have even noticed- but it was familiar. He heard the sound of a deep breath, and a whispered, 'tu peux le faire...' As a figure stepped into the tavern, his senses were assaulted by the scent of plums and some sort of flower. His eyes narrowed as he recognized the girl standing in the doorway. She had a brown braid ending at the middle of her back, green eyes behind a pair of glasses, was wearing a dark blue long-sleeved shirt, and black cotton pants tucked into black soft-soled boots.
Jeanne Vajell.
No, wait. De'Vajell. "The 'de' is a part of my name, bougon."
Laxus Dreyer pulled the hood of his cloak forward a bit, making sure his face was well-covered. 'What the hell is she doing here?' he thought.
She looked around the room, her eyes lingering a little on the two men in the shadowy corner, and a bit more on his own booth. She had the slightest of frowns before she sauntered toward the bar with the most confidence he had ever seen her possess, taking a seat and giving the bartender her order.
"I'd like a rum and coke, please. Chilled, but no ice. It's been a rough day of traveling."
"Sure thing, sweetheart," the bartender replied. "Got some I.D?"
The hooded man smirked a bit. 'What was the kid thinking, ordering a drink like that? No way was she going to get away with it.'
De'Vajell smiled as she reached into her pants pocket and pulled out a card. The barman studied the card, then her face, before handing it back with a genial smile. "Twenty years old, huh?"
She nodded. "For about seven months now."
The bartender handed her a glass of her ordered beverage. "Would have thought you were older."
"Hmm, I get that a lot." She took a sip, and sighed in relief.
'...What. The. Hell? Did the kid really just do that? Is this what she normally does outside of Magnolia? Underaged drinking? Flirting with men twice her age? What else did she get up to?' He took an angry swig at his beer.
She glanced around the room. Not many people were dining; besides the two occupied corners, there were maybe five other tables in use. "Not a very busy night tonight, huh?" she commented.
The bartender shook his head. "Nah, not normally. A little inn on a country road doesn't get a whole lot of attention. But, that's one of the things that make this place appealing. A nice, quiet spot with none of the traffic you'd hear in a city. And we're not very expensive."
Jeanne seemed very interested. "Wow, how are you guys not bankrupt?"
The barman laughed. "We seem to find a way to eke through. Enough weary travellers, I suppose."
She took another sip of her drink. "How do you guys protect yourselves?" she asked. "So far out in the country, wouldn't this place be ideal for a group of robbers to just ambush?"
He smiled. "Dogs, my dear. I have a couple of big ones that like to hang out in the back room. They are excellent guard dogs, and pretty damn good fighters, too."
De'Vajell's eyes twinkled. "Well then, do you have any vacancies now? With canine protection and inexpensive service, I guess you've sold me. Besides, after this," she gestured to her drink, "I don't think I should be going back out there alone in the dark."
The barman smirked. "You know what, lucky for you, we do have a couple rooms left." He walked to the back door, reached into the room and pulled out a key. "How does lucky number seven sound?"
"Sounds magical," she replied, accepting the key.
Laxus narrowed his eyes. Focusing his listening skills, he could hear both their heartbeats racing. Was it excitement? Anticipation? ...Arousal? Just what was she planning?
"So tell me, do you ever get regulars here? Either for the bar or the rooms?"
The bartender nodded. "Sure, a few. Those two over there," he pointed to the pair of men in the far corner, "they're here almost every night. Have been for about a month and a half now."
A month and a half? That was when the kidnappings had begun. He spared another glance across the room.
"And we have a few couples who like to come to celebrate anniversaries. Are you scouting the place out for maybe a weekend getaway?"
Jeanne blushed a bit, giggling like an idiot as she replied, "No, nothing like that. I'm afraid I don't have anyone to spend a weekend with."
The bartender looked surprised. "What? That can't be true! Surely, a woman like you must have someone."
'Oh, real smooth…' Laxus knew from the start he did not like this guy, and this sleazy attitude only cemented it.
De'Vajell shook her head. "Nope. I used to. But then, he suddenly changed. It was like, I woke up one day, and he wasn't the man I had admired anymore." Her voice grew soft, and her eyes saddened a bit. "Sorry, I shouldn't burden you with this."
"No, I'm sorry," the barman said, laying his hand atop of hers. 'Get your filthy mitts off of her…' "This was a recent thing?"
She gave a sad smile. "Feels like it…" She shook her head a bit before smiling. "But it doesn't matter. I'm probably better off forgetting him. He's the one who left, and odds are I'll never see him again, anyway." She raised her glass in a silent toast, and finished her drink.
Laxus sneered at the lie. He knew very well that the kid hardly talked to anyone, let alone go out with a guy. What was she up to?
"Well, I think I'll go up to the room now. Thank you for the drink. And for the verbal tour of this place."
"Of course," was the reply. "Forgive me for not showing you to your room, but I gotta stay down here to keep things monitored."
"Of course, I understand."
"First floor, way down the hall. Number's on the door. When the bar's closed, I might come up to make sure everything's to your… liking."
'Sure you will… Kusona hentai.'
Jeanne smiled. "Thanks, that's kind of you."
"It's just part of the job, miss."
"Oh, right. I guess it would be, wouldn't it? Well, thanks again. See you later, then." She placed a few Jewels on the counter, then walked across the room to the stairs, swaying slightly. 'What a lightweight.' Laxus watched her carefully. A small smile played on her lips.
Laxus was pissed. Was this how she represented Fairy Tail? He may no longer be a member of the guild, but there was no way he would let her destroy his grandfather's name any more than it might be!
He downed the rest of his beer, and did his best not to slam the glass on the table. He tersely nodded to the man behind the counter before heading upstairs. He pulled out his own room key, and confirmed his number. Room six… coincidence, luck, or fate? Either way, that made his decision a lot easier.
Instead of going to his room, he strode right past it to number seven.
'Should I do this? Do I even have a right to interfere with her affairs?' he debated. '...No. I may have made mistakes before, but I won't let her tarnish Jiijii's guild anymore.' With determination, he knocked on her door.
"Well, that was a lot faster than I expected," he heard her mutter, as footsteps reached the door. As she opened it, she said, "You didn't even give me a chance to- Laxus?" She gasped, her eyes widened, and she stepped back. She looked shocked to see him, even a little scared.
Well, he supposed she did have reason to… Their recent meetings were not exactly of the friendly sort. But, right now, he figured she deserved to get scared.
He let himself in and shut the door. She stepped back more, right against the wall, unconsciously holding a hand to her chest.
"What are you doing here?" she whispered.
"Funny, that's what I was going to ask you," he replied in a low voice. "The hell do you think you're doing in a bar, with a card that says your twenty? I'm pretty damn sure you're still under eighteen. Plus, what kind of ideas were you giving that guy?"
Jeanne frowned. "Hold up, that was you down in the bar?"
"Don't avoid my questions," he growled. He marched up to her, towering over her in anger. She glanced about for an escape route. Laxus thought back to months ago, the last time he confronted and pinned her to a wall. Back then, she blinded him and was able to get behind him. To avoid that, he grabbed the wrist hanging at her side and held it against the wall above her head. "What. The fuck. Do you think you're doing?"
Her eyes widened even more, and she began trembling. She clutched at her shirt even tighter. When she spoke, it was only a little more than a whisper. "I-It… It's a job."
Laxus paused for only a second. Then lightning began to crackle around his soundpods. "What kind of jobs is Jiijii allowing? You're telling me that you are acting on behalf of the guild? As if Jiijii would allow you to drink or flirt and practically offer yourself to a-"
He never finished his rant. He caught the glint of fury in her eyes, but was not prepared for her quick knee thrust to his gut. He doubled over a little bit, weakened for just a moment which she exploited by shoving him to the floor. She pinned his arms to his side, and kept them in place between her thighs and calves, straddling his waist. At the same time, she grabbed at her side, and her crossbow appeared out of thin air. The flight groove glowed with a soft lavender light, and the end of the barrel was shoved below his chin. She kept herself from completely falling onto him with one hand on his chest. Her face was red and close to his, close enough to feel her heavy pants.
"It's not that kind of job, Laxus," she said in a low voice. "And if you were actually paying attention down there, you should've noticed that I didn't once mention the guild, or even that I was a mage."
He should get her off. He could easily push her off, with little to no effort. A little shock would be all that it would take. But, her shirt was a little loose near the neck, and he saw the thin red marks on her collarbone, reaching for her neck. He remembered two young men, angry brats, standing protectively in front of her, and one of them mentioning that she had a scar… because of him.
There was no way that he could ever use his lightning on her again.
Jeanne leaned back a little. "I'm gonna get off, and let's try to speak like civilised people this time, bien?"
He nodded, and she rolled off of him, reabsorbing the magic bolt in her crossbow. She re-latched the weapon to her side before offering him her hand. He raised a brow at it, and she quickly retracted it.
"Oh, right, like you would need my help," she muttered, glancing at the floor.
Laxus narrowed his eyes. First, she sashays up to a bar to flirt with a guy with confidence akin to Cana's, then she was terrified for her life like a scared little rodent, next she fought him with a ferocity like Mira used to, and now she was back to the mumbling, shoe-staring brat he remembered her most as. What gives?
Sitting up, he eyed her weapon hanging from her belt. "Since when could you Ex-quip?" he asked, gesturing to it with his head.
Jeanne glanced down at it. "I can't. I've always had this, I've just been keeping it hidden. People tend to not want to talk to you if they can see that you're armed."
"And just how are you able to knock me down? After a potent drink? Why the hell were you drinking in the first place? You're, what, sixteen?"
She crossed her arms. "Seventeen, but not for much longer. And that's not the first time I've had a drink, Laxus. I can hold my liquor."
"Wait, what?"
She shrugged and rolled her eyes. "Why are we even talking about this? What I do is none of your business."
"It is if what you do can tarnish the name of Fairy Tail."
"Oh, that's rich coming from you!"
Laxus froze in shock, and Jeanne slapped a hand to her mouth. "I am so sorry!" she said in a mortified whisper through her fingers. "That was totally uncalled for, and I-"
He held up a hand. "No, it's fine…"
"No, it's not!" she protested, holding her head in her hands. "I shouldn't have said that, especially since I was the one who had said that you've been forgive-"
"Kid. It's fine."
There was a few moments of awkward silence before Jeanne sighed with resignation. "There's been quite a few kidnappings in the area. The mayor the next town over posted a job asking to find out what happened to the victims. Now," she crossed her arms and leaned against the wall, "what are you doing here?"
"Same reason as you, I guess," Laxus replied. "Heard about the rumors of kidnappings, thought I'd find out if there was any truth to them."
"Any luck?"
He shook his head.
"Have you asked around?"
Laxus scowled, but remained silent.
Jeanne smiled. "I suppose it helps if you talk to people. Here's what the mayor told me: the victims were all young ladies, travelling alone, and they disappeared somewhere between his town, and the one further south. This is the only building on the road between them. And I suspect the bartender."
He raised his brows in surprise. "That guy? Why him?"
"While I was, as you so delicately put it, 'flirting,' he was telling me quite a bit about this place. Not very many people come by, yet they're still afloat, due to 'enough weary travelers.' Plus, he has two guard dogs, which sounds to me like not only can they keep people out, but keep people in as well. Also, he was very keen on pointing out those two guys in the bar, mentioning that they'd been around since the kidnappings started. He's inadvertently putting the blame on them."
Laxus thought about her argument. "I don't know, it seems a bit of a stretch. Personally, I've been watching those other two all night. There's something off about them."
"Did they say or do anything?" she pressed.
He shook his head. "No, nothing concrete."
She nodded. "Yeah, same. Hopefully, I came across as harmless and tipsy enough for someone to try and make a move on me."
"What?!"
Jeanne jumped and snapped her hands up in a shushing motion. "Shh! What the heck was that?"
"You're trying to get kidnapped?"
"Yeah, that's the plan."
Laxus could not believe what he was hearing. This kid was going to try to take down a kidnapping ring? By herself? By getting kidnapped?!
"I can't let you do that," he stated, standing up.
Jeanne frowned. "Why not? If they take me, I can find out where the other girls are hidden, and then I can get them out. It's better than following suspects around until some other poor girl gets taken. And, I'll try to make sure that I Conceal my bow."
"And if they find it anyways, and take it away?" he countered, stepping closer to her. "Or if you get caught while escaping? You could get yourself and those other girls killed. Or, what if they end up hurting you so you couldn't escape? What would you do then?"
"Look, believe me, all the worse-case scenarios have already popped into my head. I still feel this is the best option. At the worst, if I can't get the others out as well, at least I could find out where they are and bring help to them."
Laxus shook his head. "I still can't let you go."
Jeanne looked straight at him. After a few beats, she said, "Why not? Why even care what I get myself into?"
Laxus stepped back a bit, and rubbed his neck. "If my grandfather ever heard that I just let you walk into a potential death-trap… I've already hurt so many of his 'children.' I may no longer be a part of Fairy Tail, but you're still nakama."
Jeanne smiled, though, he thought there was a sadness to it. It was quickly gone, though, as she shook herself and said, "Of course, that'd be your answer. You know, I suppose there is a way you could help out."
He looked up with questioning eyes.
"You could play bodyguard for the night, and if I actually do get captured, you could follow them and see where they take me. I'll find some way to escape, and meet you outside of wherever is it, or, if I take too long, you can play hero and come barging in, lightning blazing."
"Any chance we could think up of a plan that doesn't involve you getting kidnapped?"
She shook her head. "No. I don't see that happening."
Laxus thought a bit. "What about we use you as bait, but don't let them take you anywhere? We'll just force them to-"
"I've thought about that," Jeanne interrupted, pushing him towards the door. "We wouldn't be sure if they'd take us to the girls. They could just feign ignorance and say that they're copycats, and I'd be their first victim."
He pulled at his hair a bit. "I don't like this. I don't like this at all."
She threw her hands in the air. "Again, Laxus, the best option." She opened the door for him. As he stepped out, she added, "But, at least now I have a reliable back-up. If they take the bait, give me twenty-four hours."
"What? That's too much!" he protested. "I'm going after you after five minutes."
"Keep your voice down!" Jeanne hissed. "You need to assume that I'm going to get drugged. I don't know how fast I'll be able to wake up, but I think twenty-four hours is well enough. I'd rather not get caught in a hostage situation. You know as well as I how useless I am in offensive matters"
Before he could reply, she shut the door on him. He stood there awkwardly for a few moments, before walking next door to his own room. He fell onto his bed with a grunt.
'What did I just get myself into?'
"Ugh, what did I just get myself into?"
Laxus sat bolt upright, searching for an intruder, ready for battle.
"I should have just insisted on doing this myself! It's not his business what I get up to, and it's definitely not his business if I've gone drinking before! Quel diable que c'était? Oh, why didn't I just slam the door in his face when I saw him?"
A quick glance told him he was still alone, and he soon realized that the voice was de'Vajell's. It was reverberating a lot, but still sharp and clear. Apparently, she decided to panic in her bathroom, where the vent was connected to his, and opened.
"Because, like I said, I didn't expect to see him ever again, that's why," she was saying. "And besides, any help is appreciated, and it could be a nice difference. But, yeah, getting up in my case for the drinking was weird. I mean, who does he think he is?"
There was a pause for a moment. Laxus listened closely. Did they come for her already?
"Non." Her voice was brisk and stern. He could kind of picture her pointing at her reflection for emphasis. "Don't. Even. Go there… Don't even dare to think like that!"
Laxus frowned. 'Think like what?'
"D'accord," she sighed. "Just, focus on the mission. Get some rest, pretend you've been drunk. Act like bait. ...Dieux, ç'est terrifiant." He heard a deep, shuddering breath. "At least now you have someone to watch your back."
There was a sigh, then water began to run. A few splashes, and then footsteps before a soft 'thump' on a mattress. He lay on his own bed with a sigh.
'I guess the kid prefers to speak in her own company more than others.' He gave a heaving breath and massaged the bridge of his nose. 'She's gonna be the death of me… Will she really be able to do this? Can I trust her?
'Why does she trust me?'
He lay there for a few hours, and woke up with a start. Next door was the sound of muffled tussling. He quietly sprinted to the bathroom for a better chance to hear what was going on. It sounded like the kid had a hand over her mouth, but that was not stopping her from attempting to curse her attackers out. He clenched a fist; it was very difficult to not barge in and destroy those bastards.
Suddenly, her gagged protests ceased. There was the sound of two voices -'Ha, kid, not the bartender!'- and then a clatter. More voices, and then dragging and footsteps quickly yet quietly down the hall. He waited two beats, then slipped out of his room, and slunk down the hall to de'Vajell's. That clatter bothered him.
He was surprised to find that the room looked barely touched. The only proof that the young mage was ever there, was her scent that still clung to the area, and her crossbow was left on the floor. He picked it up.
"Shit. I am not waiting twenty-four hours."
Laxus sat down on the floor, holding the kid's crossbow. He took a few deep breaths, and listened. If he closed his eyes, he could picture what was happening.
Footsteps down the stairs. The squeak of hinges from the counter opening. More footsteps, and another door. Dogs growling, the sound of something wet slapping onto the ground, and another door.
Laxus snapped his eyes open. She was not completely wrong, it seemed. Those dogs were being used to guard something. He quickly stood up, and stealthily made his way down the hall. This wasn't quite his style; his size didn't usually allow it, but he could not risk them becoming aware of his presence, and then threatening to harm any of their hostages. When he reached the dining area, he quickly glanced around to confirm that no one was there.
He could no longer hear de'Vajell's kidnappers, but the dogs were snarling and growling, and tearing into something, so that probably drowned them out. He could not lose them. He jumped the counter, and carefully opened the backdoor. The dogs went silent. Another push. Loud growling filled the room.
'Great. No hiding from these guys.'
He prepared his magic, threw open the door, and shot out two powerful electric shocks to the canines in the room. They went down with a whimper; unconscious, but for who knew how long? He looked around.
He was in an office of sorts. Across the door was a window, with the drapes closed, and a desk in front. All along the walls were shelves, filled with books and knick-knacks. To his left, in the middle of the wall, was a brick fireplace, with dying embers.
Laxus closed his eyes again, and inhaled. The scent of plums filled his nose, and it seemed to lead… straight into the fireplace.
'A hidden door, perhaps?'
He quietly walked over to it, and indeed, felt a slight chill coming from the sides of the bricks. Not wanting to waste any time, he dug his fingers into the cracks, and pulled. The fireplace, with much creaking and groaning, slid to the side, revealing a dark tunnel of stone leading downward. The kid's scent grew stronger, and he could hear voices bouncing across the walls.
"I'm coming for ya, kid."
