Warning: Contains disturbing imagery. Violence and animal death. Proceed with caution.
Chapter Twenty-One: One bite won't hurt
(December 7th, 2017, Thursday Afternoon)
It came out of nowhere, sinking its teeth into his arm. Blood covered the pavement as he screamed, gaining everyone's attention, including the undead.
Natsu heard the scream, but he couldn't turn away from the walker in his grasp. He tried stabbing it, his knife missing and hitting the zombie's cheek instead of the eye socket. Natsu recovered quickly, keeping his hand on the thing's shoulder as he drove his knife through its skull, the zombie's body going limp before it fell.
Natsu cursed when he tried jerking his knife out, finding it stuck. While others rushed to Warcry's aid, Natsu focused on pulling his knife from the zombie's head. Once freed, Natsu ran to the group of survivors, expecting to see a zombie bite.
However, Natsu found no zombies around them. Instead, he witnessed the survivors trying to rip a wild dog off Warcry's arm, the thing's teeth embedded in his skin. Natsu's first thought was that Warcry should have been wearing a jacket to protect his arms from bites and the cold, but his thoughts ended as soon as Gray stepped up.
Natsu's stomach twisted when Gray used his ax to cut at the canine's side, causing the animal to yelp as blood splattered the ground. That wasn't enough to get the thing to let go of Warcry. If anything, it looked like it was holding on harder. Natsu watched as people sliced at the dog's face, its blood drenching Warcry's hand and clothes.
It wasn't until someone stabbed the dog in the head that it finally went down, letting go of Warcry's arm and life itself. Natsu had to turn away, unable to stomach it. He felt bile rising in his throat, but he swallowed it down, knowing he had a job to do. He approached the nearest zombie heading towards the group, taking out his frustrations on it.
He didn't want to think about the dog who got killed. If the world wasn't so shitty, maybe the dog wouldn't have started attacking humans. Natsu wondered if the thing was rabid as he continued with his job, working as a clearer despite it not being his day to do so.
Natsu heard the commotion behind him, thankful when a few people broke off from that group to help him clear. He felt bad for Warcry, but the guy would survive a dog's bite. Sure, it would hurt like hell, but they had more important things to deal with. Natsu pushed through, even when his muscles protested and his mind wanted to shut down. The more zombies they killed now, the better it would be for the survivors.
He just had to keep moving, one zombie at a time.
Natsu was finishing up with another one when he heard a resounding crack, his body flinching before he heard another one, recognizing the sound as a firearm going off. He whirled around, seeing Laxus pointing his rifle down the street, firing off at the offending zombies.
When Natsu saw the rifle being pointed towards him, he ducked, waiting until Laxus was finished with his line of vision before hightailing it back to the group. He didn't have to ask what the shots meant. They were done for the day, probably because Warcry was being too loud, his groans of pain heard all the way where Natsu was just a moment ago. Of course, not Natsu could barely hear anything, the shots deafening him for the moment.
The vehicles were being started up as the survivors headed towards them, Gray standing on the tailgate of the truck to get a headcount. Laxus was the last one climbing into the truck bed, waiting until Warcry was inside and the zombies were cleared. More would take their place soon because of the noise, but the survivors wouldn't stick around to welcome them, the vehicles taking off once Laxus gave the order.
The motion upset Natsu's stomach, but he hung his head off the side, ready to vomit if he needed. His heart pounded as he looked down the street, his eyes skimming over the scene until he saw the dead dog in the road. He closed his eyes, his stomach jerking violently at the thought of an animal dying.
He now regret agreeing to fill in for one of the clearers who was sick today, wishing he had been a runner instead.
Natsu couldn't help but think things would be differently if the outbreak never occurred. That dog was probably just scared or hungry, attacking the first survivor it saw. He understood why they put the dog down, but that didn't mean he liked it.
Natsu had seen a lot of death over the last five months, but animal and kid deaths were the worst.
Natsu's ears rang for another few minutes before they calmed down, but his stomach stayed in knots until they reached Fairy Tail. He stuck close to Gray and Ultear as they headed towards the arena, guards on either side of their group to make sure no one broke off.
Natsu glared at Nobarly when he turned in his knives, the two men not getting along since Lucy's first day at Fairy Tail. The way Natsu saw it was Nobarly still hadn't apologized, and until he did, Natsu was going to continue to treat the guy like he treated other people. So far no one had scolded him for it, so he figured he was okay.
"What the hell happened to him?" Natsu heard someone ask when Warcry stepped up to turn in his weapon, a few people jerking back when they suspected something far worse going on. "Is... is that a zombie bite?!"
"A dog bit him," Laxus said, his cold eyes glaring at anyone who opposed him. "Just take his shit. We don't have all day."
Natsu turned away, deciding Laxus had it covered. He walked with the rest of the group to get processed, peeling off his sweaty clothes when he was behind closed doors.
Since Warcry's injury took priority, the group of clearers didn't get a chance to wash off in the creek if they wanted to. Jellal made up for it, allowing everyone a quick rinse to get the blood off their body. It was better to waste a little water than to have infected blood running around Fairy Tail.
After Natsu and Gray were cleared, the two headed out of the arena to go into the school. "Poor bastard," Gray mumbled when they saw Warcry being escorted in front of them, his arm wrapped in paper towels. "I can't imagine how much that hurt."
"Poor dog too," Natsu whispered under his breath, wondering why it attacked Warcry in the first place. "Do you think it had rabies?"
Gray sighed, entering the building after Natsu. "For Warcry's sake, I hope not. I'm not sure how Grandeeney would even fix that."
'I wonder if that's what Grandeeney was talking about when she said she hopes nothing bad happens that she can't handle...' He didn't know what she would do if Warcry got rabies since her supplies were limited, especially when it came to prescription medication.
Natsu would offer to help, but he couldn't think of anything he could do. "Was it deep enough to need stitches?"
"Probably. There was a lot of blood." Gray shook his head. "Grandeeney's gonna be pissed though. She told me yesterday she was running low on supplies."
Natsu looked over at Gray's face, eyeing the bandage that hid his newest cut over his left eye. It was deep enough to need stitches, but Gray kept insisting it was nothing. Natsu was glad he hadn't needed any stitches for himself in a while. The cut to his cheek had been the last one, and hopefully it would stay that way for a long time. He was tired of getting stitches, even if they left some interesting scars behind.
The cut on his cheek was already forming a scar. It had been a little over two months since Lucy cut him, the skin angry and jagged from the blade she used. He didn't mind too much what he looked like, as long as it didn't affect how he lived his life.
"You wanna hang out before dinner?" Natsu asked when they went upstairs, nearing his room.
Gray shook his head, pulling his shirt from his body. "Kinda wanted to get naked and air out."
Natsu chuckled, nodding as he pulled out his key. "Fair enough." That idea didn't sound too bad. He was now wearing a plain white shirt and scrub bottoms since his other clothes were soaked in blood, not suitable to use again. He didn't get to dry off after his rinse, so Natsu's new clothes felt uncomfortable on his skin. It would be nice to shed them too, at least for a little while. "See ya later."
"See ya." Gray parted ways, heading down the hall to his own room.
Natsu unlocked and opened his door, stepping in to look around. When he didn't spot Lucy, he sighed, happy he would get a moment to himself. "Actually..." Natsu looked at his watch, realizing he was home thirty minutes earlier than he usually was. He guessed it was a good thing Warcry got bit towards the end of the shift, that way they didn't lose too much time.
After opening the window to let Happy go potty, Natsu grabbed his towel and a different set of clean clothes, heading to the corner of the room by Lucy's bed. He had hung bed sheets on the ceiling and wall to make a cover for when they changed, that way there would be no accidental peeking. Natsu used it far more often than Lucy did, the woman usually changing in the closet instead.
Natsu tore off his clothes, including his boxers, before laying down on the towel. He set his watch for ten minutes so he wouldn't lose track of time, shutting his eyes so he could relax. He didn't normally strip naked and chill, but his body was still sweaty despite the rinse off, so the cool air felt nice on his skin.
When the ten minutes went by, Natsu stood, rubbing the towel over his body just in case. Satisfied, the man put on his clean clothes, wishing once again that they could use fabric softener. His clothes felt too itchy, but he knew he'd get used to it soon enough.
After applying deodorant and setting the new clothes by the door, Natsu was ready to relax. He smoked a long cigarette before finding his phone, picking up where he left off in the movie he was watching the day before. He laid back on his bed, letting his sore muscles relax.
The movie was almost finished by the time Lucy came home, her body bundled in two jackets. "Hey," she said, her voice soft but strong.
He grinned, pausing his movie before sitting up. "How was work?"
"Okay. I dealt with trash today."
Natsu watched as she pulled off her gloves and jackets, revealing her figure. She hadn't gained much more weight over the past two weeks since they ran out of mass gainers, but she hadn't lost any weight either. Natsu considered that a win, happy she looked healthier.
"Sounds boring," Natsu said, eyes flitting to his phone for a second before returning to Lucy. "Do you wanna watch something?"
She shook her head, walking over to the window that was open before looking through. He guessed she was looking for Happy, their blue roommate missing at the moment. "Not yet. I wanted to write a little while there's still sunlight."
Natsu nodded, his chest feeling lighter when he saw her grab her cash box, bringing it over to the desk. His eyes went back to his phone, but instead of finishing the movie, he went to play a game.
"How was work for you?" Lucy asked, putting in the combination to unlock the box.
Natsu was about to shrug until he remembered the anomaly that occurred. "Someone got bit by a dog."
Lucy sucked in a sharp breath, cringing as she shivered. "Ouch. That had to hurt. Are they going to be alright?"
Natsu nodded, not thinking the bite was as big of a deal as everyone was making it out to be. Sure, it probably hurt, but he would live. It wasn't like he got bit by a zombie. "Yeah, he'll be fine. One bite won't hurt him."
Natsu looked at his screen, hearing Lucy's pen scratching against paper as he relaxed in his spot. The events of the day had him thinking about when the outbreak started, remembering how scared and confused everyone had been, himself included. A dog bite didn't scare him, but the thought of one of those undead taking a chomp at him certainly did. He had a lot of close calls over the past five months, all of them shaking him down to the bones.
Natsu gulped when he recalled the sounds he heard when people started dying around him. His fingers clenched around his phone, wishing he could forget the nasty moans and snarls. They had echoed in his mind for weeks before he could get a decent night's sleep, and even that wasn't anything compared to how he slept before the outbreak.
He had taken the world for granted back then, not realizing how safe and secure he was. If he could go back— Natsu gritted his teeth, knowing no matter how hard he thought about it, he couldn't change what happened. He couldn't save anyone who had fallen, and he couldn't stop whatever it was that spread and infected countless lives.
Natsu scooted backwards until he was resting against the wall. His eyes found Lucy, seeing her on her bed now. He blinked, wondering when she sat down. Deciding that wasn't what he wanted to talk about. Natsu cleared his throat, hoping he wasn't overstepping when he said, "Hey Lucy... I have a question."
She glanced at him, keeping her thumb over the part in the book she was reading. He wondered how long he zoned out for, but he pushed that aside when he heard her ask, "What's up?"
Natsu hesitated, knowing it was a bad idea to ask. Despite her struggles to open up in the past, she had made a lot of progress over the two months since she joined Fairy Tail. He didn't know if asking his question would make her freak out, but his curiosity was burning, and he thought it was safe enough to ask just one.
He took a deep breath, as if he was the one who needed to calm down. His heart raced as he opened his mouth, ready to back off if she gave him any signs that she didn't want to answer. "Where were you when things started happening?"
Lucy cocked her head as she furrowed her brows. "What do you mean?"
"Like, I was camping with my friends when all this started." He gave a vague gesture around them, hoping she understood what he meant. "What were you doing when it started? If you don't mind me asking..."
Lucy swallowed, her eyes growing wide as she seemed to understand what he meant. She took a few shaky breaths, causing Natsu to immediately regret his decision. He was about to tell her never mind, but she parted her lips, her voice soft as she said, "The... hospital."
Natsu jolted, shocked for two reasons. Not only did she answer his question, but there was a chance she also witnessed first hand what happened at the hospital. He pulled himself in, realizing Lucy wasn't from Magnolia. It was possible she wasn't at the same hospital Grandeeney and Wendy had been at when the outbreak started. Clearing his throat, Natsu asked, "Was it the Magnolia one?"
Lucy hesitated, but eventually nodded, confirming his original thought. He knew it was risky bringing it up considering what he heard, but he couldn't stop himself. "Was it really a blood bath like they say?"
He saw the way Lucy tensed, her eyes slamming shut as she wrapped her arms around herself. He took the hint, backing off as he said, "You don't have to answer. I'm sorry."
Lucy shook her head, her voice strained and weak, but still loud enough for him to hear her. "I will," she said, hands clenching her arms. He had to admit, he was impressed by her willingness to continue. Usually she would've shut down by now, but she pushed through it, answering despite the fear in her voice.
"I-it was. There... there was a lot of... of blood." She slowly opened her eyes, no light shining behind them. "A-and screaming. It was hard to think with everyone screaming." Her voice tapered off into a whisper, her eyes falling to the book in her lap, but she didn't look the least bit upset that she lost her place.
If Natsu had to guess, she looked like she was trying to keep herself from panicking, letting him know he needed to stop the questions before she got worse.
'Or...'
Natsu had the urge to push just a bit, to see what she would reveal. His next question wasn't too personal, so he decided it was safe enough. Despite that, he took a deep breath, preparing himself for what she was going to say.
"Did you see Grandeeney or Wendy there? They were at the hospital when it happened."
Lucy took a deep breath in, shaking her head as she looked at him. "N-no," she mumbled, swallowing before lowering her head. "I didn't. I—" She shuddered, needing a moment before she was able to speak again. "Maybe? I-I don't think so, but I'm not sure."
Natsu furrowed his brows, not understanding how she wasn't sure. "Did you lose your memory from that day or something?"
"No," she whispered, glancing at him before looking around the room. She frowned, further confusing him until she asked, "Where's H-Happy?"
Natsu's eyes widened, realizing she wanted to use his cat as support. He heard animals could be therapeutic, so it make sense to him that she'd want to hold or pet Happy when she was uncomfortable.
"I let him outside. Do you want me to try to get him back in?" he asked, causing her to shake her head.
"It's fine." Her fingers curled on the edge of her mattress, nails scraping against the material.
Natsu had to admit, it was a lot better than when she used her skin as a scratching post. He didn't want her making new wounds to deal with, especially when the ones she arrived with were healed for the most part. She still had her scars, but they weren't going anywhere anytime soon.
"I—" Lucy started, pulling him away from his thoughts. "I don't remember... because I was too busy..." She swallowed, fear flashing in her eyes. "Running."
Natsu's jaw went slack, not needing to ask what she was running from. "Why were you at the hospital, if you don't mind me—" He didn't get a chance to finish his sentence, Lucy shaking her head before she stood abruptly, causing him to jolt back. However, instead of doing anything to him, she walked to the other side of the room, widening the window to allow more cold air in.
"Lucy?" He stood, slowly walking towards her, making sure to stay in her field of vision so he wouldn't sneak up on her. Guilt rang in his chest. He knew he shouldn't have pushed her, but he did.
"I'm sorry I asked," he whispered, stopping when he was a few feet away from her. "You don't have to tell me, okay?" He wished she would though. It would make it easier to piece together her story. He didn't know where she went after he saw her at the gas station, only knowing she was going on a vacation, and even that didn't tell him much. He sighed, realizing it didn't matter why she was at the hospital. The only thing that mattered was she made it out alive.
After sucking in a deep breath of fresh air, Lucy turned to him, keeping her voice low and guarded. "I... just don't want to think about it."
Natsu nodded, his heart heavy as he said, "I get it. You're fine."
Lucy took a few shaky breaths before nodding, hands gripping the window as she turned towards it, looking down. "I see him," she whispered, causing Natsu to cock his head.
"See who?"
"Happy."
Natsu's brows raised before he went to the window, peering down to look for his cat. He spotted the ball of blue fur, Happy taking a nap on the ground by the fence. Natsu frowned, not wanting his cat to get sick by being out in the cold. It was starting to get cold enough that even he was bothered by it, so he knew it wasn't good for his companion.
"Happy!" Natsu called, seeing the cat jolt before he stretched out. "Yo! Happy! Come home, buddy!"
Happy stood, trotting along the concrete road that wrapped around the school before reaching the large tree. Natsu watched as Happy climbed the tree, making it to the branch closest to the window. He made it look so easy, the glint in the cat's eyes making him appear smug about it when he entered the room. Natsu knew he was seeing things, shrugging it off as he closed the window, stopping the cold air from seeping in.
Natsu picked up his cat, eyes widening as he tucked the cat into his arms, warming him up. "You're freezing. Next time don't stay out so long, okay?"
The cat didn't respond, not that Natsu thought he would. He held him for a moment, waiting until Happy was relaxed before looking at Lucy. "You wanna hold him?"
She didn't hesitate to nod, holding her hands out. He smiled as he handed Happy to her, the cat adjusting quickly, snuggling closer to her chest. Lucy pet him as she walked to her bed, sitting down so she could continue holding him. Natsu's smile grew, glad she was able to feel comfortable with Happy.
Natsu glanced at his watch, seeing he had some time before dinner. He would spend it resting, his muscles aching from the work he did that day. He decided he wouldn't ask Lucy anymore questions about her past, at least not for the remainder of the night. He had already upset her enough. There was no point in doing more damage.
"Warcry looks like shit," Gray said when he got to the table, setting his plate and cup down before taking his seat. He glanced over his shoulder at the far corner of the arena, prompting Natsu to do the same. He saw the back of Warcry's head, not giving him any indication of his condition.
"I haven't seen him since we got back," Natsu said, furrowing his brows. "What's he look like?"
"Did you not just hear him?" Cana asked, taking a bite of her elbow noodles. "He said he looks like shit."
Natsu shook his head, ignoring her to listen to Gray. "He looks like he's sick. His skin's all pale and shit." Gray stabbed at a few noodles before looking at Natsu. "If I didn't see him get bit by a dog with my own eyes, I'd think he was infected."
"He's not, right?" Levy asked, her shoulders tensing as she looked at where Warcry sat.
Natsu shook his head, confident in his answer. "It was just a dog bite. If he was infected he woulda died by now. It's been what? Couple hours at least since he got bit."
Gray nodded, swallowing before adding, "Yeah, he's probably just feeling bad from the bite. Maybe he really does have rabies."
"Would it affect him that fast?" Cana asked, but no one could answer since they didn't know.
Natsu shrugged, changing the subject. "Your birthday's coming up," he started, eyes landing on Gray. "Want me to look out for anything specific when I'm a runner?"
Gray sighed, shaking his head. "Honestly? I don't want to think about my birthday at all."
Natsu frowned, not understanding why Gray said that. It wasn't like they made a huge spectacle of his birthday, but they always did something to celebrate. Usually the group went out to dinner at his favorite restaurant. His siblings and mom would be there too. Ultear and Lyon would by him whatever he wanted to eat, and Ur would—
Natsu froze, wondering if that was the reason Gray didn't want to think about it. It would be the first year he didn't have his mom there with him, at least since he got adopted by her. Natsu's shoulders fell, along with his heart, wishing he could take away the pain Gray must have been feeling. Natsu was there when Gray saw Ur's body, her head bashed in by her daughter.
As gruesome as it was, Natsu was glad Ultear put her down. The infection had already taking over Ur's mind and body, and after she rose from the dead, it was either her or Ultear, and Ultear fought like hell to live.
Natsu's stomach twisted, no longer hungry. Despite that, he continued eating, knowing he needed all the calories he could get.
The subject of Gray's birthday was lost, swept under the rug as a new topic took its place, Levy asking the group if they wanted to hang out that Saturday after dinner.
Before Natsu could turn to ask Lucy if she was okay with that, Levy was calling Lucy's name, gaining everyone's attention.
"Do you want to hang out with us?" Levy asked, her tone kind, but not at all soft. She tried talking to Lucy as if she wasn't a frightened animal, but Natsu didn't know if that was a good thing or not.
He looked at Lucy, studying her expression to see if she would give any emotions away. Her eyes were fixed on Levy, her brows pinching together before she took a deep breath, her features relaxing. "Yeah," she whispered, giving Levy a short nod. "That sounds... good."
Natsu couldn't stop the grin from surfacing on his face, beyond proud of Lucy for not stuttering or fumbling with her words. He wanted to pat her on the back, thinking twice before he decided against it. She was doing so well, he didn't want to ruin it by making her uncomfortable.
Levy smiled at Lucy's answer, giving her own nod as she said, "Great." She turned to the other members of their group, asking them the same question.
While she did that, Natsu continued to focus on Lucy, green eyes lighting up when he saw the smallest twitch of her lips. She was holding back a smile, her own eyes less dull than before. He hoped she was proud of herself too.
She deserved a win.
"Why was Wendy there?"
Natsu looked up from his notebook, his pen pausing on the paper. "What?"
Lucy sat on her bed, back against the wall with her pillow in her arms. She hugged it to her chest like it was a stuffed animal. His eyes roamed the room to find Happy, wondering why she wasn't holding him instead. He found the cat on the desk, cleaning himself like it was nobody's business. Natsu's eyes drifted to Lucy again, repeating his question when she didn't answer right away. "What do you mean?"
"At... at the hospital," she whispered, eyes trained on him. "Sorry, I can't stop... stop thinking about what you said. Is... is she okay?"
"Who? Wendy?" Natsu asked, waiting until she nodded before saying, "I think she's fine. I mean, she was pretty scared when we found her, but I think she's better now." He hadn't seen anything wrong with the girl, other than sometimes she was a little down. Considering the world they lived in, he couldn't fault her.
Lucy swallowed, eyes falling to her mattress. "I... I'm sorry she had to... to see what happened th-there."
Natsu cocked his head, setting his notebook and pen down for the meantime. He could finish writing about his day later. He turned to face Lucy, giving her his undivided attention. "There's no reason to be sorry. It's not like it was your fault." He sighed, running his hand through his hair, wondering when he should get it cut. It was getting rather long, his bangs especially. They used to stick straight up like a cowlick, now they hang in his face, sometimes covering his eyes.
"I just... I still feel bad for her." Lucy squeezed her pillow tight, mumbling under her breath. "I don't remember seeing her." She looked at him then, raising her voice. "Was she in the pe-pediatric section or something?"
Natsu shook his head as he recalled the story Grandeeney told him. "Nah, Wendy was with her mom. She wasn't sick or anything. I guess her babysitter called out and Grandeeney couldn't find anyone to watch Wendy, so she brought her to the hospital while she went to work."
Lucy's eyes widened, her shoulders falling as she turned her body towards him. "Really?"
Natsu opened his mouth to answer, only to pause. He realized Lucy was having a conversation with him, one that bordered on personal for her since she was at the same place when it happened, even if they didn't see each other. He needed to tread lightly, otherwise he would mess it up. He wanted Lucy to be able to talk without restrictions, and the best way -in his head- was to have her practice.
"Yeah. It's actually the best luck her babysitter flaked on her. They might've been separated after, well, after all that shit went down. A lot of people got separated from their families that day." He thought of his dad, a deep ache in his heart making him rub at his chest. He didn't know where Igneel was or if he was even alive, but he held hope that he would see his dad again, in one way or another.
Natsu focused on Lucy's face, seeing something in her eyes, but he couldn't place it. Fear? Panic? He couldn't tell, only knowing it wasn't good. She looked like she was caught in a memory, one that wasn't pleasant. Taking a risk, Natsu prodded her for answers, keeping his question vague. "Were you separated from anyone?"
Lucy closed her eyes, preventing him from knowing how she reacted. 'That's not true. She looks pretty fucking upset to me.' He was ready to tell her never mind, that she didn't have to tell him, but when she parted her lips, he froze, waiting with bated breath for her to say something, anything.
"Yes," she mumbled, lips twisting between words. "My... m-mom."
Natsu's heart fell, a sickening feeling spreading through his chest. He remembered asking her if she got separated from her mom, but she gave him the weirdest answer by saying they ran, not telling him more details than that. "You... and your mom ran? Where were you running with her to?"
Tears flooded Lucy's eyes when she opened them, her arms tightening around the pillow as she bit her bottom lip. "Not with," she whispered, shaking her head.
Natsu furrowed his brows, trying to figure out what the was trying to say. 'If she got separated from her mom, but she wasn't running with her mom, then why—'
Natsu didn't know if he voiced his question or not, not hearing for a moment as he thought of one possible explanation, but he didn't like it at all. He didn't want to know if she went through something like that, but the question came out anyway, his voice low and cautious.
"You ran... from your mom?"
Lucy didn't answer verbally, but she didn't have to. The way she flinched let him know he was at least close to the truth. He backed off once he saw the first tear run down her cheek, regretting his line of questions. He was tired of seeing her in pain. There was already more than their fair share of pain going around, yet here he was, causing more of it.
"I'm sorry," he said, keeping his voice as firm as he could make it. "I'm... I'm sorry." He didn't know what he was apologizing for. It could've been a number of things. He was sorry he brought it up, sorry she got separated from her mom, and sorry she ran from her mom. Natsu had a good idea why she would've run from her mom, the snarling undead coming to mind. He wanted to ask if her mom was one of those creatures, but he kept quiet, not wanting to prolong her suffering anymore than he already did.
Besides, she said so herself before when he asked. She didn't know if her mom was alive or not. That made him lean more towards her mom turning into a zombie theory, not seeing any other viable options.
Natsu's eyes fell to the ground, once again wondering where Igneel was or if he was even alive. He needed guidance, feeling cold and alone when he thought about all he lost. Natsu parted his lips, hesitating before telling her what had been bothering him for months. It was something he didn't like talking about, only bringing him pain every time he remembered.
"I was separated... from my dad."
Lucy's watery eyes fixed on him, but he didn't see, too busy trying to breathe evenly. He didn't want her to pity him, but he also wanted her to know she wasn't alone. Everyone lost people.
"You did?" she asked, voice meek.
Natsu nodded, taking in a deep, shuddering breath before looking at her. "The last time I saw him was a few days before this shit happened. I... I dunno where he's at. He..." Natsu sighed. "He told me to stay at the campsite, but I didn't listen."
He shook his head, knowing that wasn't true. "I couldn't listen, even if I wanted to. Those things started coming out of nowhere. The campsite wasn't safe, and we had to go somewhere." Natsu closed his eyes, remembering the frantic screams from his father over the phone, telling him to stay put.
"He said he would come find me, but I left. I... I thought I could find him before things got out of control, but—" He gestured around them, letting the sentence die. There was no point in finishing it. 'Just like there's no point in holding out hope. If I haven't found him yet, I'm never gonna find him.'
While Natsu let his thoughts spiral into the darker part of his mind, he didn't notice Lucy moving, shifting to the edge of her bed. He jolted when he heard her voice again, this time louder, tearing him away from the negative scenarios his brain conjured.
"What's he like?"
"Who? Igneel?" Natsu blinked, needing a few seconds to realize that was what she meant. He looked at her, imagining his dad's face in his head, one from when he was younger and the world made a lot more sense to him. "He's..." His eyes softened, a small smile resting on his lips. "He's awesome."
Lucy gulped, loosening her grip on her pillow just a bit. "What... what'd he do for a living?"
Natsu studied her face, wondering where the line of questions were coming from. He knew that was hypocritical of him, seeing as he asked her more personal questions than he should have, but he still wanted to know why she pushed, even if it wasn't as much as he pushed her.
Natsu didn't know if she was actually curious, or maybe bored. Then again, judging by the way her tears stopped flowing, Natsu realized she might have been using it as a distraction, wanting to talk about his life instead of her own.
He sat back, head nodding once before he answered her, surprised when she asked another question, then another. Before Natsu knew it, he had spent thirty minutes talking about his dad, telling Lucy what kind of person he was. 'Not was... Is.'
Natsu had to keep hope alive, even if it was futile. If he didn't have hope, what was the point of trying to survive? He had to live long enough to at least find out what happened to Igneel, be it good or bad. 'I'll find out. I won't give up.' He would keep at it, even if sometimes he felt like letting go. Giving up looked too tempting sometimes.
"Do you have any pictures of him?" Lucy asked, her cheeks and nose still red, but her eyes were no longer wet, her tears long gone. In some weird way, talking about his dad was helping Lucy, even if that help consisted of her ignoring her own issues.
Considering he didn't know what he was doing anyway, he figured it couldn't hurt to let her keep some things bottled up. Everyone was entitled to their secrets. He just hoped her secrets weren't eating her alive.
Natsu groaned, dragging a hand over his face as he shook his head. "No. I was an idiot and deleted all my pictures so I'd have more room for my stupid videos."
"Videos?" Lucy asked, her pillow now resting in her lap with her arms folded over it, no longer looking like she was trying to suffocate it.
Natsu looked around for his phone, realizing he left it on the bookcase. "Those movies and TV shows. I got rid of my pictures so I could store those. I can't even tell you how much I regret that decision." Every time he thought about it he felt a violent jerk in his stomach, reminding him of his mistake.
"I'm sorry," she whispered, causing him to shake his head.
"Don't apologize. It's not your fault." He sighed, scratching the back of his neck as his head tipped back, staring at the dark ceiling. The moon and candlelight let him see around the room, but he wished they had real electricity, that way he could keep the lights on until he was ready to turn them out.
"All my pictures are back home on my computer," Natsu said, even though she didn't ask.
"Not a photo album?"
Natsu rolled his head, locking eyes with her. "I have some, but Levy helped me digitize all of 'em a few years back so I'd have a copy of everything." He huffed, eyes hooded as he thought about his computer. "It's all there, but I can't get to it. Those stupid fucking things are everywhere!"
He grit his teeth, knowing yelling wasn't going to solve anything. He mumbled an apology, his hands clenched into fists in his lap. He embraced the silence that fell over them, accepting the end of conversation. They had been talking for a while. Well, he had done most of the talking, but Lucy contributed her fair share. It was only natural for the conversation to fizzle out, but apparently Lucy wasn't ready for that yet, the woman more chatty than normal.
"Is it really that bad out there?" Lucy asked, her tone holding a bit of fear.
As much as he wanted to assure her that things weren't as bad as they seemed, he couldn't lie to her. "Yeah," he whispered, nodding as he thought about the zombies he took down that day.
Natsu wasn't surprised when Lucy went quiet. There wasn't much to say after something like that anyway. He was about to check his watch and see what time it was, but Lucy's voice distracted him, her words pulling a smile from him.
"I'm glad I'm not out there then."
"Me too... It's too dangerous." Natsu didn't think she could handle it, but he didn't say it out loud, not wanting to put her down. "You'll be safe, as long as you stay on base." He was sure of his words, not realizing how wrong he was.
Natsu took a peek at his watch, groaning at the time. It was later than he wanted to stay up, knowing it would affect him in the morning. "We should get some sleep."
Lucy nodded, the earlier conversation dropped. She stood, crossing the room to grab her things for bed. Natsu went back to his notebook, scribbling a few more words before putting it away, deciding to use the bathroom once more before going to sleep.
A few minutes later, Natsu and Lucy were tucked into their respective beds, Happy sneaking under Lucy's covers for warmth. Natsu blew out the candle, letting the moonlight wash over them, providing him with enough light to see Lucy, but her expression was harder to make out. He closed his eyes, ready for sleep to take him.
"Natsu?" Lucy whispered, startling him.
He blinked, eyes focusing on her face, his brows furrowing as he whispered back. "Yeah?"
She opened her mouth, a few ticks going by before she said, "Thank you."
Natsu shook his head, eyes hooded as his body relaxed into the mattress. "You don't have to thank me. Just keep getting better." He took a deep, calming breath, his body feeling heavier by the minute. "That's all the thanks I need."
Natsu didn't know if the lack of light was tricking him, but he swore he saw her smile. "Okay. I'll try." She shifted under the covers, eyes fixed on his before slowly fluttering shut. "Good night."
Natsu pulled his blankets up to his chin, hoping she would have a good sleep. "G'night." He passed out shortly after closing his eyes, thinking everything was as normal as it could be considering the circumstances. If only he knew what he would wake up to, unprepared for the hell that awaited him the next day.
(December 8th, 2017, Friday Morning)
"How'd it happen?"
"This doesn't make any sense."
"When did this happen?"
"I thought it was just a dog bite?"
"Is he really dead? We just saw him last night."
"That poor bastard. Who dies from a dog bite?"
The news of Warcry's death spread over Fairy Tail like a wildfire, everyone finding out about it within minutes. No one knew the cause of death, speculating that the dog really did have rabies, but even Natsu didn't believe that. He wasn't a doctor, but he doubted someone would die that quickly. However, without knowing what caused it, he didn't know what to think, just as confused as the rest of the survivors.
"Did he have some other medical condition we weren't aware of?" Erza asked, but no one had an answer for her.
Gray shook his head, casting her a glance. "Where'd they find him?"
"His roommate found him dead in his bed. From what I heard, he looked sick. I think something else was going on besides that dog bite. It just doesn't make sense that he'd die from something that small."
"I think I'd rather die in my sleep than anywhere else," Cana said, throwing back a shot.
Natsu waited for Erza to scold her for drinking at breakfast, but Erza didn't comment on it, only shaking her head as she sighed.
"I went to check on him before bed. He had a fever last night," Gray offered, pushing his food with his fork. "He was stumbling too, but he said he was fine."
"Maybe it was food poisoning?" Natsu asked, but Levy and Jellal shook their heads.
"No, we'd all be sick then."
"Right," Natsu mumbled, his brows furrowing as he tried unraveling the mystery, coming up short every time. "Was it a normal infection?"
"I don't know," Levy said, giving him a frown. "Maybe he had a food allergy he didn't know about?"
"Maybe..." Natsu opened his mouth to say something else, only to cut himself off when he saw someone approaching their table, his eyes flitting up to see Macao looking his way.
When the man drew closer, Natsu realized he wasn't looking at him, rather the spot next to him. Natsu's stomach twisted when Macao stepped up to Lucy, clearing his throat to get the woman's attention. She jolted, wide eyes shooting up to land on him.
"Sorry to do this to ya, but I'm gonna need you to hurry. We need your help."
"Can it wait?" Natsu asked, knowing Lucy still had a little bit before she had to report for work.
Macao shook his head, crossing his arms over his chest. "Afraid not. We need help in the graveyard."
Natsu quieted down while Lucy nodded, knowing why they needed her help now. It had to do with Warcry, probably wanting to bury his body as soon as possible. He watched as she scarfed down the last few bites on her plate, gulping her water before setting the cup on the table. She stood, grabbing her dishes before Natsu held out a hand, stopping himself just before he was about to grab her wrist.
"I'll bring 'em back to the room," he said, offering her a wane smile.
"Are... you sure?" Lucy whispered, earning a nod from Natsu.
"Yeah. It's no trouble. I'm gonna have to go there anyways for my stuff."
She nodded, hands falling to her sides. "Thanks. Um, s-see you... later."
"See you later," Natsu repeated, eyes following her as she left the arena with Macao. He hoped she would be okay with her task, whatever it entailed. He knew she had helped bury a few other fallen survivors since being at Fairy Tail, but that didn't mean it was easy.
He turned back to his friends, forcing himself to rejoin the conversation to put his mind at ease. Worrying about Lucy wasn't going to help anyone, so he did his best to push the thoughts out of his head, hoping the day flew by so everyone could rest again.
Natsu sighed as he stood in line, waiting until it was his turn to collect his weapons. It would save time if he could carry them with him everywhere, but he understood the reason for the rule. Less weapons floating around meant people wouldn't get violent, or if they did, it wouldn't escalate as badly.
He was a few spots away from the front of the line when he heard something odd, his brows furrowing as he turned his head towards the doors of the arena. Judging by the way others looked that way too, he figured he wasn't the only person who heard it.
"What was—"
Everyone froze when they heard the sound again, this time louder than before. Natsu recognized that the noise was, his heart dropping when he realized it was a scream, coming from outside. He didn't know what to do for a minute, his body refusing to move a muscle.
It wasn't until he heard the gunfire that he reacted, running towards the doors before bursting through, hearing more screams fill the air. Others rushed behind him, all trying to locate the source of the commotion.
Natsu's heart pounded wildly against his chest as he turned his head, pinpointing the sound before taking off, racing towards it. He didn't think as he ran, his body fueled by the need to stop whatever was causing the scream. Not only did it sound like someone was in danger, the sound of gunfire wasn't good for the base. Too much noise drew the dead in, and that was the last thing anyone needed.
Natsu didn't know when he realized where the screams were leading him to, his blood turning ice cold when he saw the first grave, his stomach churning as one thought popped into his head.
'The graveyard.'
That thought was quickly followed by another, his breath hitching when he remembered who was supposed to be there. His feet beat against the ground as he ran, passing grave after grave until his eyes found what was making the noise, the scene making him stumble as he lost balance of himself.
Blood was splattered on the grass and on her clothes, her face covered in crimson as she screamed, writhing on the ground. On top of her was the man who had died that morning, the one Natsu was sure would stay dead.
Warcry had Lucy pinned to the ground, the snarling zombie leaning in, teeth snapping as he tried to take a chunk out of her.
Natsu hesitated for only a second before running towards her, ready to knock the zombie off her by any means necessary. However, he only got a few feet before arms wrapped around him, jerking him back.
Natsu looked over his shoulder, eyes narrowing when he saw Dan holding him back, shouting something about he couldn't go because he didn't have a weapon.
Natsu struggled in Dan's hold, much like Lucy did under Warcry's body. Natsu yelled, clenching his teeth when he couldn't get away from Dan to save Lucy, wide eyes falling on her as he tried reaching out for her, unable to help.
Natsu couldn't stop the scream that left him, his voice laced with fear and desperation, angry that he couldn't do anything to stop the attack.
"LUCY!"
.
.
.
Let me know what you thought of this chapter. :) What'd you think about Lucy talking a bit about her past? What about Natsu opening up to her about Igneel? Any ideas on what happened with Warcry? It may be obvious to you, but the survivors didn't see it coming. Let me know your opinions on this chapter, or what you think will happen next chapter? Oh, and who else wants to punch Dan in the face for stopping Natsu?
I've fired and been around people firing weapons before, but I still don't know how describe the sound of gunfire. When I think of gunfire I think of loud popping or cracking, but I also always wear two sets of ear protection so it doesn't affect me as much. Sorry if that scene with the gunfire wasn't as descriptive as it should've been.
Thank you for every favorite, follow, and review! Shout out to those awesome people who reviewed last time: stranger1999, sofiesticated, MeteorWars, ChasingMoonlightFire, Lodemai04, Firefly9917, HollyNinetales, AshnMarley, ThayetJade, Animeforlife1412, MidnightFox890, Sam, Screeney, TheUniqueFangirl, celestialmagex7, n. kukurichan, AtomicAdri, MnMAllyn, I'm-A-Brat, booksandanime17, FlameDragonHime, Guest, CodenameMise, ElementalMiko12, Karsyn1p2, Guest, Satyrykal, An Amber Pen, Deboo, CathJorda, Mady, FairyTail9908, Jacsygirl, Tohka123, Everwrote, Roxyrox12, HungryPeanut, Nalu-Nerd13, 1tsN0tMe1Swear, and Mara fray!
Don't forget to tell me what you think! Reviews are a great way to motivate writers!
Also, please don't send me any threatening messages or death threats, even if you're joking. I don't find it funny, so please refrain from doing so.