Chapter-21
Natsu vs Totomaru
Lucy struggled to get up and failed. Gajeel noticed her attempts and smirked. "Don't bother trying, Blondie. Your leg's torn up too bad for you to be moving around. Rain Woman saw to that."
Juvia huffed. "Juvia is sorry."
"I see now," Master Jose spoke, his voice dangerously quiet. "You've been working as a double agent, haven't you?"
"Juvia is surprised that Master Jose didn't figure it out earlier," Juvia replied defiantly. "Master Jose is a poor excuse of a guild master. He only uses his guild members and does not treat them like family."
Jose scoffed. "Family? Ha! You don't need bonds of friendship and loyalty in this world. Power is absolute."
"That's where you're wrong," Lucy snarled. "Fighting for the ones we love and protecting them with all our strength, that's how Fairy Tail had worked all these years. That's how it stayed strong! And that's why we will never lose to you!"
Jose glowered at her. "If I didn't need your powers, I would kill you here and now, half-breed."
Lucy flinched and then raised an eyebrow at him. "There's one thing that I don't get about your plan, Jose. It is true that my birthday is tomorrow. However, I am required to return to the sky during the day. If I do not do so, I will die. Once I return to the sky I will be out of your reach. What will you do then?"
Jose smirked. "There's no use keeping up the act, half-breed. I know what tomorrow is. During the day tomorrow, you turn fully human, don't you? Just as all half-stars do, once every year. And because of that, you don't need to return to the sky-you can stay here on earth until your powers return. And tomorrow night will be the night when I chain you up to that lacrima and take your powers for myself."
Lucy suddenly felt her heart beating loudly. He knew? But how? Only the Master, Mira and Levy were privy to that information. Unless…..
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Juvia stared at Lucy in shock. The naiad had no idea that Lucy lost her powers on a certain day. Then again, it was understandable that Lucy had not told anyone such sensitive information. After all the day she became human would be the day she was at her most vulnerable. If any of her enemies knew about it, Lucy could be taken out easily.
"We need to get out of here," Juvia hissed to Gajeel. "Juvia, Gajeel-kun and Lucy-san don't stand a chance against Master Jose. And Lucy-san is already weakened. We have to hurry!"
"Right," Gajeel grunted. His eyes strayed to where Levy and her two teammates were lying. He had to take them as well.
"Rain Woman, create a distraction," Gajeel whispered. "I have to take care of something.
Juvia nodded and sent a Water Nebula towards Master Jose. In all the confusion that quickly emerged, Gajeel dashed over to Levy, Jet and Droy. He flung Jet and Droy over his shoulders and supported Levy's body in his arms.
Meanwhile, Juvia cast another Water Nebula before running towards Lucy and helping her up. Putting the blonde's arm around her shoulders, Juvia called to Gajeel.
"Gajeel-kun, let's get out of here!"
The trio made their way out of the hall as quickly as possible. As they reached the corridors, suddenly, a heavy, thick mist surrounded them.
"What is this?!" Lucy cried. "I can't see anything."
Her legs buckled from beneath her and she collapsed to the ground. "Juvia! Gajeel! Where are you?!"
Few minutes later, the mist cleared away as suddenly as it had arrived. Lucy's heart sank in despair when she saw that she was all alone. Jose's work, no doubt. He was good at these sort of things.
"Lucy!"
Lucy turned her head and a delighted smile appeared on her face when she saw Natsu running towards her. "Natsu! What are you doing here?!"
Natsu came to a stop in front of Lucy and held out his hand for her to take. "Wendy and I followed your scent. Though I've seemed to have lost her because of that strange mist thingy….and the exceeds are gone as well."
"You shouldn't have come here by yourself!" Lucy scolded, standing up with his help. "It's dangerous! Master Jose is an extremely powerful warlock."
A scowl crossed Natsu's face. "Is he the bastard that kidnapped you?"
"He had it done, yes," Lucy admitted. "But there's no time to talk about that right now. We've got to get out of here and inform the guild."
"We already sent them a message," Natsu supplied. "They should be on their way."
Lucy sighed in relief. "Thank goodness. Once Master's here, Phantom'll be eating dust."
"I'm not so sure about that."
Natsu and Lucy swung around as a guy with hair of black and white and dark eyes strolled over to them.
"Totomaru," Lucy breathed. "One of the Element Four, one of Phantom Lord's elite."
"Hand over Lucy Heartfilia and things won't get ugly," Totomaru said lazily, eyeing Natsu with a smirk.
"Like hell I'll do that!" Natsu smashed his fist into his palm. "Lucy, get out of here. The guild's arrived, I can catch their scents. Go alert them of whatever Phantom Lord's up to."
"Right," Lucy nodded before taking out a key. "Open! Gate of the Archer: Sagittarius!"
Sagittarius appeared in a shower of stardust and saluted to Lucy. "Moshi moshi, Lady Lucy. What may I do for you?"
"Help Natsu keep this guy at bay!" Lucy ordered and tried to run past Totomaru to the entrance. The man in question immediately lunged for her, but was stopped by Sagittarius' arrows.
"I will not let you hurt my lady," the spirit declared.
"Take this!" Lucy cried, tossing her keys to Natsu. The Fire Dragon Slayer caught them and raised an eyebrow at her.
"Please take care of them!" Lucy begged. "You're the only one I can trust right now to do this! I can't risk losing them, I simply can't!"
Natsu looked at her for a minute before grinning in response. "Sure thing, Luce!"
Lucy gave him a brilliant smile in return before running out of the guild.
(A/N): Sorry about the late update! School has started today, so I'll probably have to limit updates to once or twice a week. Sorry, and thanks for your patience!
Thank you all for the amazing reviews! Keep it up! Oh, and go read Kenzypirateb's Fairy Tail Retold: Down the Rabbit Hole. It's awesome!
Thank you all again!