Sovereign: Here's the next chapter guys! I would like to thank Blueberryxn, zeprincelini, an anonymous reviewer, sNoWaNgL, Emcronia, Wolf Girl Jaye, ShiningStellar and gytech for reviewing! Thanks guys! :D

Replies to anonymous reviews:

Anonymous - Yup, Wendy is fine. ^^ As for Gareth, read this chapter! ;D

Chapter 13: Showdown

Natsu groaned as he tiresomely opened his eyes. He looked around and sees that he was in a room with a single light bulb. Both Lucy and Wendy are nowhere in sight. He tried to move his hands but he realized that his wrists are tied in ropes and he is tied to a wooden chair.

He was sweating and feeling very warm. He shut his eyes and grinds his teeth. He wished to get out of this place and find Lucy and Wendy. He hopes Gareth hasn't done anything wrong to them.

"What do you mean you don't know where Natsu and Lucy are?" Mirajane yelled at Erza. She, Erza and Lisanna are now outside of the school and night has fallen. All three couldn't find Natsu and Lucy anywhere in the school.

"I really don't know! I thought they are at the cafeteria!" Erza yelled back.

"But there is no sign of them!" Mirajane cried, tears flowing down her cheeks. Her knees fell onto the pavement and she covers her eyes with her hands as she broke down sobbing.

Lisanna sadly kneeled down to her and placed her hand on her shoulder. "Don't cry Mira."

"It's hopeless Lisanna. First I lost Freed, and now I lost three of my children! I'm feeling depressed all over again!" Mirajane cried as she sobbed harder.

Erza lowers her head sadly. 'Natsu…Lucy…Wendy…where are you?'

Suddenly, a van drove over to them. Mirajane immediately stops sobbing and she, Lisanna and Erza look up at the van. The window lowers itself, revealing Levy at the passenger seat.

"Levy?" Erza asked in confusion. Levy stared at the three with a serious look on her face.

"Come with us. We know where Natsu, Lucy and Wendy may be." Levy said.

"What? Is that true?" Mirajane said, widening her eyes with a glimmer of hope.

"Positive." The driver sitting next to Levy said. He is wearing a baseball cap and a scarf to cover his head and mouth. He is also wearing a black singlet and he has a huge tattoo on his left upper arm.

"Who are yo-" Lisanna was about to ask but the man quickly interrupts her.

"I'll introduce myself later. Come, there's no time to lose."

Natsu snapped his eyes open when he heard the door open loudly. He looks up and sees Gareth walking over to him while holding a baseball bat.

"You got a lot of nerve stealing my girl." Gareth said icily.

"Shut the hell up asshole! She was never your wife to begin with." Natsu said angrily.

Gareth narrows his eyes and swung his bat at Natsu's stomach. Natsu yelled as his stomach began to sting.

"Now that wasn't very nice isn't it?" Gareth said.

"Where…the hell is Lucy and Wendy?" Natsu demanded, overcoming his pain.

"The same question again? You sound like a broken voice recorder, you know that?" Gareth said. "Anyways, don't worry. They're fine. I never hurt them…yet. You know, you never should have got in the way of our love."

"There was never any love between you and Lucy, moron."

"Fortunately, a day after she escaped, I sent out my scouts to find her. Eventually, I tracked down your house and man, your sisters are hot and sexy. I believe your younger sister Wendy will grow up into a beautiful whore one day and Erza, man her body is fine. Maybe me and my boys should have kidnapped her instead."

"Don't you dare hurt them, you son of a bitch." Natsu said in a solid tone. "Just what the hell do you want?"

Gareth smirked maliciously as he kneeled down to Natsu. "I want them to watch you die." He then turns to the door and yelled, "Bring them in boys!"

Natsu's eyes immediately opened when he heard screaming. He watched helplessly as a man yanking Lucy's hair as he drags her in and another man roughly pushes Wendy into the room.

"Lucy! Wendy!" Natsu yelled in horror.

The man drops Lucy to the ground and Gareth walks up to her. Lucy looks up, shivering in fear as Gareth kneeled down to her. Immediately, Gareth slapped Lucy across the face. Lucy shrieked in pain as her right cheek began to sting.

"Lucy!" Wendy cried, tears flowing down her cheeks.

"Get away from her, asshole!" Natsu yelled at Gareth.

"Get up bitch, I got a job for you to do." Gareth said coldly to her. Lucy slowly got up from the ground and Gareth hands her his baseball bat.

"Finish him." Gareth said to Lucy, gesturing to Natsu.

"No…." Lucy said softly. Gareth slapped her again and she shrieked as her left cheek began to sting.

"DO AS I SAY YOU WHORE!" Gareth yelled.

"Lucy! Don't do it!" Wendy yelled. The man behind him immediately covers her mouth with his hand, muffling her.

"You never should have left me, bitch. Now, I'm going to make you pay by killing your friend there." Gareth said to Lucy icily. He turns to Natsu and said to him, "And once you're dead, Lucy, Wendy and the rest of your family are going to have a hell of a time." Gareth then grabs Lucy's arm and pushes her to Natsu.

Lucy tried to fight her tears as she walks up to Natsu with the bat in her hands, but she couldn't. Natsu looks up at her sadly.

"Please Lucy. Don't do it." Natsu said to Lucy.

"I'm sorry…" Lucy said as her eyes are now red.

"Don't let Gareth order you around! It's time for you to fight back!" Natsu yelled.

"I don't kno-"

"Lucy! You must have the courage to fight back!" Natsu said. "I know you will never hurt me, because we are family now. Please Lucy, fight Gareth. Do it for me. Do it for your family."

Lucy shuts her eyes tightly, completely unsure of what to do. She can't disobey Gareth. She knows that Gareth will do horrible things to her if she disobeys him. But…Natsu is right. She must build up courage. She is not going to let Gareth use her as a punching bag anymore.

It's time for her to fight back.

Lucy opens her eyes, finally making her decision. She yelled angrily as she turns around and swings the bat across Gareth's face. Gareth then fell to the ground in pain. A tooth fell off and blood is furiously flowing out of his mouth.

"How dare you!" The man yelled as he pushes Wendy away. He runs over but Lucy quickly swings the bat at his crotch. The man's face distorts as he fell to the ground like a pile of bricks.

"Wendy! Release Natsu!" Lucy said to Wendy. Wendy nodded and goes over to Natsu while Lucy quickly swings the bat across the third man.

However, Gareth grabs Lucy's ankle and trips her over. Lucy cried as Gareth got on top of her, looking extremely livid. He grabs both of her wrists, pinning her on the ground.

"You are going to pay, you fucking bitch." Gareth growled.

"No." Gareth turns around. "You are!" Natsu then punches Gareth right in his left eye, leaving a huge bruise.

"Come on!" Natsu yelled as he grabs Lucy's wrist and pulls her up. He, Lucy and Wendy quickly run out of the room.

However, when they arrived at the foyer, they widen their eyes as they are surrounded by a hundred thugs. Most of them are smirking evilly and maliciously at them while holding wrenchs, metal pipes and baseball bats and some of them are wearing ski masks.

Gareth chuckled evilly as he walks out of the room.

"You guys are so persistent, aren't you? Fine. Then, prepare to fucking die, you assholes." Gareth smirked evilly.

Natsu, Lucy and Wendy turn to each other sadly. They knew this is the end for them. Natsu, Lucy and Wendy immediately wrap their arms around each other and embrace.

"Natsu…Wendy…I'm sorry I got you both into this." Lucy sobbed.

"It's okay Lucy…I don't hate you…" Natsu said, fighting back his tears.

"This is the end for us…" Wendy said before wailing in despair.

"Awww what a touching scene. Too bad it won't last for long." Gareth mocked. "Boys! Get rid of them!"

Natsu, Lucy and Wendy shut their eyes tightly. This is the end…

"Alright you guys! Beat them up!" A voice among the thugs yelled.

"Yes sir!" All the thugs who are wearing ski masks replied before they turn to the thug next to them and beat them up with their weapons or fists. All the thugs are caught in surprise that they didn't had time to react and fight back.

Natsu, Lucy and Wendy look up and widen their eyes in surprise. Gareth also look completely surprised as his eyes are as wide as dinner plates and his jaw dropped.

"What the hell is going on here! Stop this!" Gareth yelled at the thugs but the thugs in ski masks continue beating up the other thugs.

"Natsu! Lucy! Wendy!"

Natsu, Lucy and Wendy turn their heads and see Erza, Mirajane, Lisanna and Levy running over to them from the left side of the warehouse.

"Guys!" Natsu cried.

"Erza! Mira! Lisanna! Levy!" Wendy cried as she shed tears of joy. Erza, Mirajane, Lisanna and Levy run over to Natsu, Lucy and Wendy and they all embrace warmly.

"Guys, you came…" Lucy said with tears in her eyes.

"Oh thank God you guys are safe." Mirajane said as she closes her eyes, letting tears flow down her cheeks.

"Fuck this! It looks like I have to do this myself!" Gareth said angrily. He took out a pocket knife and he yells as he goes over to the family but suddenly, the man dressed in a baseball cap and scarf swings his fist at Gareth and punches him right in the right eye. Gareth is then send flying across the room and smashes right into a pile of crates. Natsu, Lucy, Wendy, Erza, Mirajane, Lisanna and Levy turn their heads to them as the man walks over to Gareth, who groans in pain as he looks up. Both of his eyes are now bruised and swollen and one of his front teeth is missing.

"You never should have mess with my friends, Gareth." The man said as he removes his scarf and cap.

Gareth gasped and widens his eyes in horror.

"It's...you..." He said as he lifts his finger at him.

Natsu and the others, except Levy, look surprised as they see who the man really is.

"GRAY?"

END OF CHAPTER

Sovereign: Haha! Did that surprise you all? :D Stay tune for the next chapter and read and review!