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Cana tried to call once again, tapping her foot and letting out a frustrated growl as she was greeted with the default voicemail that only gave you the numbers of who you called. Pulling it away from her ear, she glared at the screen, Levy's picture was smiling back up at her while she was waving. She clicked it off, starting it up to ring it again for who knows how many times. Another set of ringing, another round of voicemail. She peered up at the apartment complex before her, reaching to ring the bell for the top place. More foot tapping, more growling. Something was wrong, something was most definitely wrong. Levy seemed to just up and disappear. Cana had tried calling the library and got in touch with Lucy who also had no idea where the blue haired girl was. The blonde stated she had last seen her on Friday in the afternoon and that she found it odd that she had not shown for work. All weekend, Cana tried getting in contact with her to no avail. It just wasn't like her at all. Bringing her hand up to shield her eyes, she glared up at the top window, trying to see if there was movement. The curtains were partly closed. Sucking her teeth, the brunette turned away and stared at nothing in particular as she thought of other places to check. She had already tried Levy's favorite cafe and Chinese take out place when she was too tired to cook. No one had seen her at all. The roar of an engine caught her attention as she turned her purple eyes towards a motorcycle that raced up, the male stopping in front of the apartment, his long black coat settling once he halted. The man moved to remove his helmet, his wild black hair already seeming familiar to her.
"What the hell are you doing here?" she demanded as she saw who it was. Last thing she needed was a verbal battle with Gajeel. He raised an eyebrow at her before glancing at the building behind her without dismounting, his left leg holding him in place. "Redfox!"
"What?" he snapped, leaning back in his seat. Her eyes narrowed a moment before figuring out what was going on.
"Are you… are you looking for Levy?"
"What's it to you if I am?" He popped the kickstand, swinging his leg over and placing his helmet on his seat. "Look," he started as he joined her on the sidewalk, his gloved hand pointing at her, "I know we piss each other off while I'm at work but we aren't there and you don't seem to be drunk. I think it's possible to get along." She merely frowned, crossing her arms over her chest as she began putting pieces together.
"So it's you." That got his attention. "You're the one Levy has been talking about this whole time." Before Gajeel could question or give a snappy comeback, Cana grabbed his arms, a look of worry crossing her face. "When did you see or hear her last? I can't get a hold of her."
"What?" He peered up at the building again before staring out at the road. "I saw her Friday night. I sent her a few messages on Saturday but….. Things got crazy and I didn't pay much attention to it. I just figured we were both busy," he murmured. The brunette couldn't hold back anymore as tears started rolling down her cheeks, taking Gajeel completely by surprise. "O-oi, calm down."
"This isn't like her. What if something is wrong?" He frowned while sucking his teeth a bit, putting a hand on her shoulder.
"We can't jump to things like that. When did you see or hear her last?"
"I haven't seen her all month. Things have been bad at home so I was out of town for awhile. I was texting her though and she seemed fine," she peered up at him, "in fact, she's been really happy lately. Seems to me that is your doing." He crossed his arms over his chest, a look of confusion on his face. "I already know about you visiting her at the library all the time." She watched him flinch, like he was caught as a small noise escaped him. "She talks about you all the time. She just didn't say who it was." His eyes narrowed in thought, wondering why she didn't mention him.
'Probably didn't want the drunk to scream at her,' he concluded, watching the brunette pace. He let out a sigh, rubbing the back of his neck.
"This isn't like her," he heard her mumble.
"Have you checked other places?"
"Yes, I already looked. There isn't a lot of places she would go. She's not answering her phone and the last message I got from her was…" she pulled up her cell, "Friday afternoon. But with all the traveling back here, I didn't look at my phone that much." She began growling while clutching her device, her deathly glare startling the man beside her. "So if anything happened Friday night, she's been gone nearly two days," she concluded as she began dialing the number, "I'm calling the police." Gajeel glared at hearing her say that, a fear rising in his chest as he began pounding on the main door of the complex. A little old man finally answered, peering up at them in confusion.
"Is there something I can help you with, young man?"
"Who are you?"
"My name is Makarov. I'm the landlord here. Who are you?" Before Gajeel could answer, the little man leaned forward, squinting before leaning back and laughing, "Ah, you're the young man who keeps visiting my Levy!" A studded brow raised in confusion, Gajeel's head tilting as he crossed his arms.
"Your Levy?" Even Cana turned around while on the phone at hearing that, looking down at the short old man in bewilderment.
"She's such a sweet girl, she's like a daughter," he explained with a wide smile. They couldn't disagree with that, both glancing at each other. "Now what's wrong?"
"Right, when did you happen to see her last? We haven't heard or seen her since Friday," Gajeel replied, hearing Cana describe Levy's appearance over the phone. The old man pondered for a moment, his hand on his chin in thought. The lack of response was making Gajeel impatient, feeling the urge to tap his foot but stopped himself. He finally looked up at the dark haired man, nodding as he spoke.
"Well I did happen to see her Friday afternoon. She was in such a cute outfit. Said something about visiting someone at a club." He paused some more, "Not sure if I recall seeing her come home. Things blur together at my age, you know."
"Tch, damnit," Gajeel mumbled before nodding to Makarov, "Thanks anyway." The old man gave a small bow, bidding him good luck and farewell before closing his door. He turned in time to see Cana click her cell off, putting it away in her purse. "So?"
"I have to head down to the station to fill out papers and give them a photo. Listen, maybe you should ask your goons at Lamia Scale. Not sure what else to do right now."
"She was wearing a black dress with red lace last, ok?" Cana froze, staring at him in disbelief.
"Why do…." She watched him turn his head down and away from her as though he was disgusted. His face was tight, his jaw clenched as he ground his teeth in frustration.
"She was coming to visit me," he said, looking up at her. "She was out because of me."
"And you left her alone?!" the brunette screeched.
"I didn't want her to go! One minute she was there and the next I thought she went home!" he screamed back just as loud. She could see it in his face that he was upset and disappointed in himself for the situation. She balled her fist, the urge to strike him surging within her, tingling through her arm. Fighting it caused her to begin shaking, tears welling up in her eyes once again.
"We…. have to find her…. She's like a little sister to me. I can't lose her," she grounded out, trying not to give into the feeling. She glared up at him, feeling he was responsible for everything. Every fiber in her body knew otherwise, that he had no control over it and probably couldn't do anything to stop it but her heart and mind needed to blame someone. She growled, letting her right hand fly, her open palm swinging out, and watching his head remain turned from the impact. He stayed still, feeling any movement could get her started with more yelling and screaming. "This is your fault," she heard herself say. Everything in her mind screamed that she was being a bitch and was wrong but once again, she needed something at the moment. The fear that something had happened to her childhood friend was eating away at her. "She's the only real friend I have. Everyone else is nice to me because of who my father is. She never treated me special. So she's my real family…." What probably killed her the most was that he merely stood there, accepting all her rage. When it sounded like she was finally finished, she watched only his eyes move towards her, making contact with hers. The anger she saw in his ruby-eyed stare made her shiver in fear. It was then she realized that he, too, was shaking, his fists balled up and at his sides.
"I can promise you this," he said, finally turning towards her, "I will find her, no matter what the circumstance." That was when Cana lost it, burying her face in her hands and crying out. Gajeel didn't feel he had the right to try and comfort her, taking this chance to walk up to his bike. "I'm going to ask around Lamia Scale. See if anyone saw her." As he settled himself, Cana tried calming herself down enough to write her number down, handing him the slip of paper. He took it, staring at it before making eye contact with her. She glared at his visor, seeing her own reflection glare back. Did she really look that pissed? She was beginning to feel bad for him, having to put up with her anger.
"You hear anything, you call or text me. Send me a message when you can so I get yours." He merely nodded, slamming his boot down on the throttle while revving, taking off towards downtown.
Coming up to the Lamia Scale during daylight hours was always strange for him no matter how many times Gajeel did it. He brought his bike to a screeching halt, popping the kickstand and pulling off his helmet. Running up to the door, he pounded his fist on it before pacing. Surely someone was in there by now. Just as he was about to slam on the door again, the small window in it cracked open, a mouth appearing.
"Who is it?"
"It's me, lemme in." The mouth pulled back and a pair of dark eyes appeared to glance at him before shutting the small opening altogether. There were several loud thunks as dead bolts were shifted before it finally opened, revealing the owner in the doorway.
"What are you doing here?" Gajeel grabbed the edge of the door, pulling it open and out of Lyon's hand as he walked by him. After a quick glance around the area he turned back towards the other man, his expression making Lyon worry. Gajeel didn't show being upset very often.
"Listen, that woman I was with on Friday," he brought his hand up to show her height, "about this tall with blue hair. Did ya see her that night?"
"I saw you dancing with her." A small flicker of emotion went through his face before he continued.
"After that?"
"No, I'm sorry. I didn't," Lyon replied while shaking his head, watching his top employee begin to pace. "Gajeel, what's wrong? I've never seen you like this."
"She's missing," he answered, his wild eyes looking at the floor as he spoke. He was retracing his steps that night, trying to recall if there was anything out of place. Who was he kidding? Her being here at all was out of place. He found himself standing near the bar, staring towards the VIP section, looking at where they were sitting. 'We were there…. Then we went to dance…. And then…. She went to the restroom while I beat the hell outta that guy.' With each thought, his eyes scanned the areas that corresponded to each step. Finally his eyes fell back to the table again, 'She must have come back to the table looking for me.' He ran a hand through his hair, becoming frustrated that he wasn't here when she had returned and he had no idea what happened after. An enraged growl escaped him as he slammed his fist on the counter.
"Hey, Lyon, the door was open. You in here?" Natsu poked his head in, seeing the two of them near the bar. "Hm? Gajeel? What are you doing here?" The crimson eyed male glared up at him from under his bangs, his expression dark. Natsu was always bad with being able to read the mood, something that pissed him off greatly. "Eeeh? You wanna fight?"
"I'll kill you if you come near me." Natsu moved to get in his face but Lyon brought his arm up to stop him. The pink haired man glared at Lyon, a fiery look on his face. Natsu braced himself as though either one of them could pounce.
"Natsu, leave him alone." For some reason, at hearing this, Natsu finally was able to see that Gajeel was in pain and upset. He dropped his arms, his fists unclenching as he casted a worried look towards the dark haired male. Gajeel leaned fully against the bar, meeting his own gaze in the mirror that was behind the line of liquor. So bad, he wanted to throw something, punch something…. Anything. The rage that was building within him was becoming dangerous. He needed to get away from Lyon and Natsu. He pushed off the counter, beginning to walk around while scanning, seeing if there was anything that may have left some sort of clue. Given the time frame it was a long shot but he had nothing else to go on and he was pretty sure he would at the very least deck Natsu should he have gotten too close. He came up to the table again, leaning to look under it and inspect around it. Nothing. Lyon watched him in silence, making sure the pink haired male didn't take a step too close. Still not sure what his foul mood was about, Natsu sucked his teeth and walked away, heading for the back room where the staff kept their belongings and hid to rest. Lyon heard the dark haired male inhale deeply, his eyes brightening even if only a little.
'Flowers?' He knew there was no way. He had to have been imagining it. Shaking his head, he moved over to the bar again, curious if maybe Juvia had found something and hid it back there.
"Gajeel…." An angry glare answered him, his eyes fixed on him. "Is there anything I can do to help?" He honestly didn't know but he feared if he spoke again it would come out as venomous as it did for Natsu. Instead he remained silent, his hand nearly knocking over a glass. He steadied it, staring at it a moment. He was almost tempted to have a drink. He didn't generally drink and when he did it was just beer. He never had a taste for hard liquor, always looking for just the slight numbness to blur out at the craziness he'd deal with. He took a deep breath, still feeling Lyon watching him as he placed the glass on the counter. His eyes caught a glimpse of the stage curtain, the cloth near the end being stuck as though someone was behind there. Leaving the glass where it sat, he stalked over swishing the heavy cloth aside as he went in the back. A loud curse fell from his lips as he nearly tripped on a coiled rope on the ground, the urge to kick it being strong. Gritting his teeth in annoyance, Gajeel kept moving forward, his eyes scanning everything. On the other side, he spotted his guitar that he'd left back here. It has been knocked over, a small black object near it catching his eye. As he came up to it, a shimmer caught his gaze, finding it to be a woman's purse with a metal chain for it's strap.
"Wait a minute…." His feet carried him faster as he scooped up the purse, digging in to find keys, a small wallet, and a cell phone. Clicking the home button, he found it to be dead. A growl escaped him before he fished for the wallet, cracking it open to find what he feared. He could almost feel the color drain from his face as he peered down at Levy's ID card, her smiling face looking back at him. "Why was she over here….?" He glanced around again, his eyes squinting to see further back. "Oi, Lyon!"
"You ok back there?"
"Yeah, turn on the lights behind the stage," he shouted. Thanks to the emptiness, he could hear Lyon's heavy footfalls as he moved to do as he was asked. With a loud click and a soft hum, the lights flickered on, illuminating the backstage area. There was a lot more dust than he realized, the cleaning staff probably never going back there unless specifically told. It was probably why no one brought his guitar to the front. Now able to see, Gajeel moved to the back wall, spotting a large vent cover that looked like it had been unscrewed. It looked to be about four feet wide and tall, making it very easy to go through. Placing Levy's bag down, he examined the cover before grabbing the corners with both hands, sliding it to the side. It was a tad heavier than it looked, the loud screeching causing Lyon to pop his head back there. As loud as it was, given this place was always brimming with heavy music, this was something that could easily be drowned out. He had a feeling that this was how Vidaldus was getting in.
"What's going on here?" Lyon glanced up at him when he didn't reply, watching Gajeel look as though he were in deep thought. His eyes finally landed on Lyon, a look of fear crossing his face. He knelt down, crawling only part of the way through the vent to find it lead to the outside alley. "Gajeel?"
"I need to see the security tapes," he said as he pulled back and onto his feet. Dusting himself off, he reached for Levy's bag, grabbing the phone again. He needed to get a charger for this. He wasn't sure if there would be anything of use but he wasn't about to rule anything out. The white haired male nodded, knowing that Gajeel being this quiet was him trying to remain calm. He knew he wasn't mad at him. Walking out from behind the curtain, Lyon rushed to the office near the employee area, unlocking his door and turning on the monitors. "I need the one for the back alley on Friday night. Just scan the whole thing," he murmured, placing the bag and phone on the desk. He glared at the objects a moment before sort of snapping out of his trance. Most of it was the same image, the occasional flicker of the lights and at one point it seemed as though someone was doing a drug trade, the two individuals acting shifty before walking off. Upon further scanning, Gajeel's theory proved true as they watched Vidaldus waltz up and give a quick look around before crawling through the vent. Lyon gave a blank look, mumbling something about fixing and adding an alarm before scanning further. They both jumped to stop the tape as a cloaked figure came up before doing the same thing Vidaldus had, crawling in. "Who the…." It wasn't long before there was movement once again, this time of someone coming out of the vent. It was the cloaked figure again only this time he was a tad slow, reaching in to grab something. "No fucking way…." Levy appeared from the vent, her unconscious form causing Gajeel to growl. Lyon took a step away from him, unsure of what he might do without thinking. The crimson eyed male took a shuddering breath, his jaw tight and teeth clenched. He reached up to rewind, stopping just before the figure went in, his eyes darting about as he examined the tape again.
"Gajeel…" Lyon was afraid that if he watched it too much, he might snap and destroy things.
"He took her…." He pounded his fists against the desk, seeing Lyon jump out of the corner of his vision. He didn't care. In the back of his mind, sure he felt bad but he didn't have the time or patience for it. Someone had kidnapped Levy from right under all their noses and they didn't have a clue where to look. Cana was right to worry. Ah hell, I'll have to tell her,' he thought as he stared at the purse on the desk. He pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to calm down. "Lyon," he murmured. The other man replied, keeping his distance. "can you get the front feed. Maybe we can at least see which way they went." Breathe in, breathe out. Lyon moved forward again, pressing some buttons on the panel and bringing up the desired footage. He wasn't sure why he felt to look. It wasn't going to be enough to give him any real sort of lead. Still he felt he needed to see it. To watch that bastard carry her off. A noise caught their attention as Natsu leaned his head in, his innocent face making Gajeel wanna punch him. Once again, Natsu had no grasp of the mood, his ignorance really pissing him off. Lyon caught on, grabbing the pink haired man's arm and leading him away while asking him what he needed. Now alone, Gajeel watched the tape, just barely seeing whoever it was put Levy in the trunk of a car. "What a shitty view. Most of the building is on this. Stupid…" He walked out, ignoring any protests from his coworkers and left the club. Walking down the alley, he scanned the area, looking for anything that could help. Any sort of clue could help. "Come on, Levy…. Talk to me," his eyes swept the sidewalks, hoping there was any sort of tell to help. From inside, he could hear Natsu and Lyon still talking.
"... well Kreem had wanted that so I dunno what…" Natsu's voice traveled out, freezing Gajeel in his tracks. Bursting back in, the ruby red male grabbed his boss's collar, getting his undivided attention.
"Where does Kreem live?"
"W-what? What are you talking about?"
"Where does that stupid son of a bitch live? He was staring at her all night. There's no way he didn't see anything," he growled. Natsu grasped at Gajeel's hands, trying to pry him off.
"Calm down, you're acting crazy!"
"I don't need personality advice from you, ya damn fire bug. You can't read a crowd if your life depended on it!" He turned back to Lyon, eyes flashing with anger, "where does he live?"
"Why would I know? You need to chill," he said while trying to pull away. Letting go, he watched Lyon stumble back before fixing his shirt, his eyes never leaving Gajeel's. "Just take a breath…"
"Tch, forget it," he mumbled, pulling his phone out. Someone as high and mighty as Kreem claimed to be, there was no way it wasn't public knowledge. Sure enough, his name popped up in his search along with a map. "Listen, I'm not coming in tonight. And not until I find her," he said, pulling his keys from his pocket.
"Gajeel, it's really the police's job. You shouldn't do anything that can get you in trouble," Lyon said, watching him stalk by him.
"Or killed," Natsu tacked on, giving him a blank look. As he moved to leave, he nearly plowed into Juvia, her worried look stopping him. Lyon let out a sigh, if there was one person who had a chance of talking to him, it was her. From the minute things had been looking crazy, he'd texted her, telling her to get over to the Lamia Scale as soon as she could. He was grateful she made it before he ran off.
"Gajeel, what is wrong?" He stared at her a moment, as if part of him didn't want to be nasty to her but he had too much going on to care. Before he did something really stupid he walked around her, ignoring her until she grabbed his arm. He glanced down, seeing her arm shake. "You are Juvia's best friend. Juvia doesn't want anything to happen to you…" He needed to get away, to find Levy. Why were they stopping him? Grabbing her wrist with his other hand, Gajeel pried himself free before stalking off. The loud sound of the door slamming had all three of them jumping. Juvia turned to Lyon, her eyes downcast as if she was disappointed in failing him. "Juvia is sorry. If there is one thing you don't do, it's push him. He only isolates himself further. There is nothing else to do," she whispered. He let out a sigh, running a hand through his hair in frustration. He pointed towards the door while looking at Natsu, silently telling him to follow. Luckily, the pink haired male caught on, taking off after Gajeel. Once they were alone, Lyon asked if she was ok. She bit her lip, glancing over her shoulder where Gajeel had ran off. "Juvia is worried." The white haired male began pacing, his arms crossed and brow knit in annoyance.
"He's gonna get himself in a lot of trouble, that guy. Knowing him, he's gonna waltz up and barge into his place… ask questions later." The eerie silence of the club added to the drab mood, the two of them staring at their feet.
"What should we do?" He let out another deep sigh, rubbing his forehead.
"Well we should definitely bring the tapes to the police. That's gonna be a start. Otherwise…. I really don't know, Juvia." Outside, Gajeel had his cell to his ear, waiting for Cana to answer. He began pacing in annoyance, his coat swishing out behind him. There was finally an answer, her voice frantic and with a tad of hope that maybe he'd reached his goal.
"Gajeel? That you? You find her?" He froze a moment, feeling like relaying this over the phone might not have been such a good idea. He leaned against the brick wall of the club, using his arm for support.
"Technically, no. Just listen," he said, leaning his forehead against the brick, the dark green headband stopping it from biting into his skin. He told her about finding her purse, about the cameras, and finally about what he had actually witnessed on the tapes. During all this, he heard absolute silence. Once he was done he finally heard her answer him, her voice making it very clear she was crying. He figured she must have muted herself while he talked.
"So where did they go?"
"I don't know but I'm going to follow up on a hunch I have. I wouldn't do it if I wasn't sure. Listen, I'll keep in touch with anything…. We'll find her."
"Ok.. ok…." He could almost see her nod in his head, her voice weak like she was holding back more tears. He ended the call, staring at the screen until it blacked out and reflected his scowl. He was such a hypocrite. Here he was trying to comfort Cana when he himself was afraid. Sure, he strangles some sort of information outta that snobby asshole. Then what? What if nothing came of it? He'd have nothing. He felt so powerless. His eyes snapped open as he felt something warm on his cheeks, bringing his free hand up to feel tears. All the emotion he kept suppressing was trying to escape, the salty liquid drenching his glove as he attempted to wipe it all away. Turning his back to the wall, he leaned all his weight against it, tilting his head back to look at the evening sky. Inhaling deep and letting it go, he pushed off the wall, moving over to his bike. He grabbed his helmet, pulling it over his head before turning around, sensing something there.
"Tch, what do you want, flame brain?" came his muffled voice, his hand coming up to lift the visor. Natsu kicked a stone into the street, his hands in his pockets as he shifted his weight around on his heels. He glanced up at Gajeel, his face very serious.
"Listen, I don't exactly know what's going on," he started, hearing Gajeel growl before mounting his bike, "but I do know you're distressed and I really don't want you doing anything stupid. You're our friend. Let us help you."
"Noted and appreciated," he said before closing the eye protection and revving his engine. Natsu jumped in front of the bike, grabbing the inside of the handles with the tire between his legs. Again the visor went up, his red eyes glaring into Natsu's green ones. "Listen, you idiot! I already know you are too stupid to get this but Levy is missing. Someone took her and I have to find her! Get the fuck off my bike," he bit out, grabbing the front of his shirt and yanking him to the side. The info about the girl helped with throwing Natsu off, his body stumbling as Gajeel started up again and took off, rubber screeching and smoke curling out from under him.
The digital map on his phone took him north of town, way up north where the population grew thinner due to the sizing and pricing on housing. This was the part of town where one could buy a house or mansion and not see another soul for a good distance. Gajeel turned off to the side of the road, glancing at his phone again and scanning the mansions nearby, searching for any similarity between them. He should have known that puffy Lord would have been somewhere like this, this section of town that's almost as if it was in a world of its own. It still plagued him as to why that fool bothered with going anywhere near the club, though with the further he went into the territory, the less flair he would find. Everything was so basic and plain, from the gardens to the house designs themselves it was all too…. perfect. Finding the appropriate road, he turned his travel down it, finding more finely clipped hedges and high iron or brick fences. Each mansion had gardeners, cleaners, or even dog walkers running about, getting something done. The evening sun began dissipating over the horizon, the pinks and oranges fading from the sky. Finding his destination, Gajeel parked on the far side, walking up to the main gate and peering through the bars. A long driveway led up to a circle of road at the end with a fountain in the middle, rounded hedges lining the sides and the grass recently trimmed. The smell of the fresh cut grass clouded Gajeel's senses, blocking out a lot of any other fragrance he could have picked up on. The house itself was a much darker color than the others around here, the dark grays and blues contrasting with the whites and beiges that the others had. Another thing he noted as he looked around was that unlike the others, there was no one around. It almost seemed… desolate.
"Like a ghost house…." he mumbled, looking for a footing. Didn't seem like there was anyone there to stop him from exploring. He spotted a tree on the outside of the fence, feeling that was his safest bet. Quickly scaling the brick wall, he landed on the other side, keeping his body low as he checked for anyone around. Still alone. Running to the hedges, Gajeel peered down the driveway before heading towards the house. When he was more than halfway up the driveway, the main door opened, a man walking out and down the stairs. Keeping close to the bushes, Gajeel squinted to get a look at the male. His dark hair and the small mark over his right eye seemed familiar, watching him begin walking down the driveway. He did a double take when he realized it was the same guy he had spotted in the diner almost a month ago. 'So what is this guy doing here?' He watched him exit the property, mentally hoping he'd go left to avoid possibly seeing Gajeel's motorcycle. With no one around, he hadn't hidden it well. Luckily, he indeed went left, disappearing behind the brick wall. Taking another glance at the mansion, Gajeel decided that he knew he could come back here if needed. 'I need to find out what that guy's deal is.' Sprinting over to the fence, he grabbed the edge of the brick and hoisted himself over it. As he touched the ground, he clapped his hands together to knock away any dust or grass before rushing to his ride. Knocking the kickstand back, he turned it around and tried eyeing where the man went, the darkness making it harder to see. Sure enough, down the sidewalk, he spied his target getting into a taxi, the yellow vehicle heading itself back to the lower part of town. Gearing up, Gajeel kept a decent distance away with his headlight off. It wasn't long before they were back at the Lamia Scale with the dark blue haired male paying the driver and walking in. Gajeel scowled before parking his bike in the alley and heading in.
"Gajeel! Lyon said you weren't coming in tonight," came his greeting at the door by Elfman. He peered up at the scarred man, jutting his chin towards the door with his hands in his pockets.
"Guy with a tattoo just came in. Who was he?" Elfman glanced at the building with a raised eyebrow before looking down at the dark haired male, a curious look on his face.
"You mean Bora? He's a man!" He watched Gajeel wince as Elfman had shouted that while pumping a fist in the air, always so into the moment with everything he said. The crimson eyed male made a face, always sick of the larger man's same answer. Man this and man that. Still, he had given him a name. Gajeel bit his bottom lip in thought.
'Now I remember… he was hanging out with the alcohol princess the first night I saw Levy. He didn't seem to be doing anything odd.' He glanced behind Elfman, contemplating whether he should follow him in or not. "Oi, if Bora comes out, call me ok?" The larger man wasn't sure why but he gave a nod. Gajeel walked back to his bike, leaning against it in thought. His eyes glanced over down the alley, thinking about the video with the stranger carrying off Levy, feeling a heat burn within him. If only he knew which way they had gone. Anything.
It was almost an hour before Gajeel's phone chimed with him snagging it from his pocket. Punching in the code, he was greeted by a message from Elfman saying that Bora was leaving. Peering around the corner, he watched the target hail a cab, watching the vehicle come to a stop and let him in. Rushing back to his bike, Gajeel did as he had before, tailing him with no lights and staying far enough back where it was difficult to see him. They traveled to the outskirts of town, the cab stopping before a stand alone house that was spaced out from others. This side of town seemed more like the section for those who just barely made it. Mostly there were ranch houses or tiny homes with small overgrown yards, nothing of particular interest. From a distance, Gajeel watched as Bora climbed out of the taxi, paying the driver and slinging his black coat over his shoulder before heading to the house. In all honesty, he wasn't sure what he should do. It was a strange time to be running to the door saying 'hey I was in the neighborhood' and then asking about Levy. Plus, to show up literally minutes after he has gotten home…. Yeah, not weird at all. Gajeel sucked his teeth as he shoved his hands in his pockets, glaring at the ground. He wasn't used to this sort of thing. He solved things with his fists. Pulling his hands free, he stared at them, becoming increasingly angry with the whole situation. Perhaps it was best to come back in the morning. No, tomorrow was Monday. Bora might not be there then. "Ah fuck it," he muttered, waltzing over to the door and rapping his knuckles against the wood. Given he had watched the man walk in a few minutes ago, he was surprised when it took some time for him to open the door. Bora's face faltered at seeing him, clearing his throat and asking him what he was doing here. "Listen, sorry to bother you but I'm not leaving anything out. You remember Cana right?" Bora seemed to give him a suspicious look, his face scrunched in thought as though he were either pulling the memory or simply figuring out what his guest was after.
"Yes, Gildarts' daughter."
"Her friend, Levy. About this high with blue hair," he paused a moment to let it sink in, "she's missing." While he spoke, Gajeel's eyes looked over the man's shoulder, taking in the environment inside. It was pretty basic with what looked like almost no furniture, seeming more like a halfway house than a home. As if sensing his confusion and suspicion, Bora took a glance back before meeting the bouncer's gaze evenly.
"Sorry. You'll have to excuse me, this is my cousin's house. He asked me to look over it while he was away." Gajeel raised a studded brow, wondering why he felt he had to explain himself. "What made you come see me about it?" The bouncer refocused on him, mentally kicking himself. He'd hoped he didn't notice. He couldn't exactly say 'yeah by the way I've been following you most of the evening.' Gajeel was drawing a blank as a decent excuse, feeling foolish. Finally, he just felt like it didn't matter. No turning back.
"Just trying to find her. She doesn't know a lot of people so just been finding anyone who knows her. Saw you leaving the club." He watched as Bora's eyes went wide slightly, almost as though he was caught or doing something he shouldn't. He was quick to mask it with a blank look, clearly not happy about hearing he was being tailed.
"Odd, I didn't notice you following."
'Shit.'
"Must be very important to you to go out of your way for her," Bora said, closing the door slightly. Gajeel noticed he seemed almost nervous, shifting uncomfortably and gripping the door tight. He also noticed he didn't answer the question...
"Tch, listen, what are you tryin' to get at? I only asked ya a simple fucking question and you're fishing for info. Ya seen her or no? We have the police looking and I'm just helpin'." The fact that Bora seemed to be so curious about his involvement was really starting to piss him off. Wasn't he here to ask this guy questions? Suddenly he felt like he was in the spotlight. 'Even though I'm wrong for following him…'
"I haven't. It's late. You'll have to excuse me," Bora said as he shut the door in his face. Letting out a growl, Gajeel walked back to the sidewalk, casting a glance over his shoulder now and then as he walked away.
She'd heard it. She knew she had. That was totally his voice. There was no mistaking that deep, gruff sound that she had grown to love. Her eyes darted to the door, listening for anything. The masked man had come in not more than two minutes ago and administered something that had rendered her completely immobile. She could hear and move her eyes, but her body refused to move. Whatever chemical concoction he had given her made it as though she was nothing more than an inanimate object. In fact, he was so sure she couldn't move that he had untied her bonds and left her merely laying there on the bed. It was soon after that she heard a loud knocking, the two men speaking. It was all muffled, of course, being she was locked up in a room upstairs and possibly on the other side of the house. She couldn't make any of the words out until she'd heard her name. Was it really Gajeel? Was he looking for her? From her position on the bed, she tried looking towards the door, glancing at the light that was pouring through the bottom of the doorway. The man had left her with her hands folded over her chest, her tattered dress splayed out as if she were on display. Every fiber in her body wanted to cry out, to scream. She desperately wanted to climb off that bed and pound on the door until Gajeel could hear her.
Nothing.
Whatever he had done to her, she was frozen. She heard the talking stop, the sound of the door closing downstairs bringing tears to her eyes. He was leaving. He was leaving and he had no idea she was right there before him. Her eyes darted around for something, anything to make some sort of noise. Her heart sank as she realized there was nothing in her power to change this.
'Gajeel…. Don't go…. Please…'
Outside, Gajeel kicked a random rock back towards Bora's 'cousin's' house, hearing it land in the tall grass, his hands jammed in his pockets as he scowled. He wasn't sure what it was but he didn't trust anything the man had to say. Something was up and the way he acted all shady and dodgy bothered him. Unfortunately, there was nothing he could do about it. He wanted nothing more than to bust the door in and beat the hell outta the guy until he talked. That would surely end with the police… Especially since he was almost certain that he was being watched from the window to make sure he left. He almost expected sirens at any moment. Sucking his teeth, Gajeel pulled his phone out as he walked away, dialing Cana as he reached his bike. After a quick rundown of what each found, he ended the call, glaring at his reflection in the darkened screen.
From his place in the window, Bora dialed a number, bringing the disposable phone to his ear as he watched the bouncer finally go back to his mode of transportation. It took a few rings but he was finally greeted by his employer's voice, turning away from the window as he spoke.
"Listen, I think Redfox is up to something….. No, I don't know if he knows though I seriously doubt it. There is no trace left behind. Yeah, I'll be moving your delivery. Where do you want it?" He grabbed a pad of paper and a pen, scribbling down everything that was relayed to him. "You have the money, like we agreed? And remember, afterward, we never met each other. Like the last one…. Yeah… See you soon." He clicked the cell off, tossing it on the counter before peering down at the address and instructions he copied down. Time and again he'd done this sort of thing, making his living off of jobs like this. He was never a nice man, always using the lives of others to get what he needed. He threw the pad down on the kitchen table before glaring at the window he'd been watching Gajeel from. He might just have to do something to get the bouncer off his back. If he was at all suspicious, it would have to be a permanent removal. Going to the closet, he grabbed his black cloak and white mask, donning it before heading up the stairs to his cargo. He needed to move things fast before he was discovered.
Oh dear, Gajeel, you were so close~! Your precious fairy is near~!
Oh my, what could happen next~?
Let me know what you think, looking forward to hearing from you.
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