Chapter 7

Levy's POV

With Monsieur Sol gone and two new allies at my back, I felt confidence surge through me. Erza, Cana, and I were sprinting through the winding streets of Magnolia, the orange and red brick apartments and shops nothing but a blur. In my mind, I already knew where to go, having taken the path many times before. So, with my body firmly set in the way, I allowed my mind to marvel at my unlikely accomplices. Apparently, Erza had taken a liking to Lucy after having met her (Cana explained this to me) and is angry that Phantom would stoop to this level (bit that she's showing it!) and furthermore, she is a loyal student at Fairy Tail, and can't stand to see any of her classmates come to harm (well, ok then).

Cana simply wanted to pay back some of the Phantom Lord creeps for hitting on her in the streets. Her tendency to get drunk and not wear proper clothing has attracted a lot of unwanted attention, but while normally after expressing her distaste, then men back off, Phantom Lord students continuously harass her. I felt myself grin, glad to have such strong, if unlikely, associates to back me up, otherwise this would be very difficult indeed!

Natsu's POV

I sprinted down the road as fast as I could. Thanks to Levy I remembered our newest classmate, and was in a hurry to rescue her!

'Those bastards,'I thought to myself,'if they've even touched a hair on her head…. Her blonde, wavy hair… I wonder what it feels like. It probably smells pretty.' I had been gradually slowing down as my thoughts went off track. I had reached a walking pace while imagining running my fingers through her hair.

"HEY STEAM FOR BRAINS," Gray shouted from behind me. I turned around in surprise, not knowing he had been following me.

"You're going the wrong way asshole!" He yelled.

"Was not!" I defended myself nobly.

"Were too!" He retorted.

It went on like this for several minutes before we heard a distinct panting coming from across the street. I silenced Gray, and turned to look just as Totomaru came out of a side alley!

"Damn is Sol," he panted, "Where are you?"

"Hey Totomaru!" I screamed. He looked up, startled before narrowing his eyes at us.

"Well if it isn't Natsu and Gray from Fairy Butt High!" He snarled.

"Why you!" I roared as I dashed across the cobble street, cutting off a red taxi in the process.

"What do you want, trash?" Totomaru taunted.

"I just want to introduce you to my friend," I responded, keeping my face perfectly calm.

"Friend? Huh?" Totomoaru looked around confused, and upon seeing no one else but Gray across the street, I grabbed his should, forcing him to look at me.

"My friend Mr. Fist!" I declared, flattening his nose with a satisfying crunch!

He took three steps back, dazed, before shaking his head and looking at me with murderous intent in his eyes.

"Well I have some friends of my own!" He roared. How original.

He lashed out at me with his fists, I dodged all but one of his attacks which landed square on my temple. I luckily remembered to go with the blow, retaining minimal damage even after taking a hit. I responded in kind, first with a right cross, and then with an uppercut that sent him stumbling backwards. I got ready to finish it when Gray finally made his way across the street.

"I'll deal with him, Natsu," he offered, "you go after Lucy." I suppose he had seen my unprecedented reaction to the blonde's abduction.

"Thanks Gray," I said with a smile, before turning and running up the hill that would eventually lead to Our Phantom Lord Preparatory School.

I'm coming for you, Lucy. Hang in there.

Elfman's POV

'This wimpy Phantom Lord student had been running for at least 20 minutes, or so it felt,' I thought to myself. 'It is a good thing I am so manly, or else I would have tired long ago.'

I had lost sight of the strange man, but had a general feel for where he was heading. We were at least 15 blocks from his school, meaning he couldn't be far. I continued running determinedly.

'I have to find him,' I decided. 'It would be a blow to my manhood if I let this weakling get away!'

I trudged on, passing alleys and shops, nothing but an orange and brown blur as I ran. Suddenly, a brown leg stuck out from one of the alleyways. Not seeing it in time, I tripped and skidded a good 5 feet before hitting a flower pot that someone had left next to their stoop. I groaned aloud, realizing how weak that was.

"Oh ho ho!" Sol appeared polishing his monocle. "Not much of a man are we, non?" He was insulting my manliness! I could not stand for this! Quickly regaining my footing, I stalked over to my rather small opponent.

"I am MUCH more of a man than you!" I declared with a jab to his chest to emphasize my point.

"Are you now?" Monster Sol, or whatever he called himself, said doubtfully. "What man can't even protect his younger sister?"

I froze at the mention of Lisanna.

"What are you talking about?" I said, slightly nervous now. I took a step away from the younger man.

"What I mean is," he began, replacing his monocle over his right eye, "is what kind of a man can't even protect his sister from his alcoholic father?"

I could feel the blood drain from my face at the mention of this. 2 years ago, my family fell apart. My eldest sister, Mirajane was still getting her degree in teaching. My mother, long dead from a mugging incident. It was only my sister and I, living with my father at the time.

"Every night he would go out drinking oui?" Sol continued. "And every night, when he returned home, you would stand between him and your sister."

I remembered it well, only a couple years ago….

-Flashback-

"ELFMAN," he roared, throwing a chair into the corner, "MOVE YOUR GOOD FOR NOTHING ASS, AND LET ME SPEAK TO MY DAUGHTER."

"No dad! You're drunk," I screamed back. "Go to sleep, you can talk to her when you're sober!"

"Elf-bro," Lisanna whispered, "I'm scared."

I could feel her trembling as she clung to my back.

"Go to your room, Lisanna," I said comfortingly, "I'll deal with Dad, you just try to sleep."

I heard her scamper off into the depths of this filthy house. Never taking my eyes off my shit-faced father, i slowly approached him with raised hands.

"It's ok Dad, I don't want to fight," I said, slightly shakily. Why can't I be braver! Real men don't fear anything!

My Dad growled and lunged for me. I jumped backwards, out of the way.

"You good for nothing punk! You children belong to me, if I say I want her dress YOU WILL GIVE ME THE FUCKING DRESS," He proclaimed.

The dress in question was Lisanna's favorite, Sunday dress. It was lavender in color, and made of fine silk. With lace at the collar and hem, it was one of the last things mother had left for us before she died. My scum bag father wanted to sell it for beer money.

"You know how much that dress means to Lisanna!" I yelled in outrage, "sell something of your own to feed your disgusting habit!"

Eyes clouded in rage, he snatched a beer bottle from the counter and hurled it at my head. I ducked out of the way, easily avoiding his clumsy attempts at injuring me. But behind me, I heard a high-pitched voice cry out after being struck with the bottle.

"Lisanna!" I screamed, horrified. She was bleeding from the cut on her head, it was obvious that would get a concussion from the force of the blow. I bent down to help her, and stiffened when I heard my father approaching us. However, he simply walked past us, into the house, only to reemerge minutes later holding the dress. Without a word, he put on his coat and left. That would be the last time I'd ever see him.

His last words to me, before he walked out that door were, "You need to be a man now, if you cannot, you will never succeed in protecting those you love."

-End of Flashback-

"Your sister was taken to the hospital for 3 weeks, and when she was discharged, you were both put into child services. It wasn't until your eldest sister returned that you two lived together once more," Sol finished.

"Why, why do you know all this?" I cried, clutching my head in agony at the emotions that tore through it.

"Because, mon stupid ami," he leered down at me, "I was the one who requested your father sell me the dress in the first place."

I lowered myself to my knees and screamed at the ground. This man had been responsible for my father's betrayal! This man was responsible for Lisanna and I being separated for a year! And this man was the reason our family was slowly falling apart. I glared up at him, my eyes narrowed into slits. The world seemed to have taken on a slight scarlet hue, as all the buildings and street lights faded away, until all I could see was Sol. With a yell, I struck him. One blow to the gut was all it took to knock him unconscious. I could see his eyes roll back into his head, and, almost as if in slow motion, his monocle fell to the ground and broke. I stared at the glass, not hearing it break. The only sound that could reach my ears was my own heart, pumping furiously. I yelled again and kicked him viciously.

"This is for Lisanna!" A kick, "For the dress that Mama painstakingly made for her!" Another kick.

"For Mira-sis, who had to take care of us on only her teacher's salary!" I kicked him again.

"And for Papa, who you goaded into madness!" I kicked him one last time, sending his motionless body tumbling down the hill. Utterly exhausted, I sat on the stoop next to the flower pot, and cried.

'What a man I am,' I thought bitterly to myself. 'Sitting here alone and crying.'

And though I was alone, I felt much lighter, as if some part of the world had settled into place.

'I finally made avenged Lisanna,' I thought to myself, this idea taking a weight off my shoulders. 'Now, I will find my father, and forgive him.'

With this thought in mind, I ducked into a side alley and made my way home.

'Don't worry Lisanna, Mira-sis, now our house has a man!'