The first rays of dawn spilled over the mountains, splitting through the darkness into the anything-but-silent City of Magnolia. Police cars still roamed the streets, looking for clues and anything suspicious. The Dragneel household was relatively quiet, considering that no one had slept well during the night. Natsu and Romeo had joined the team Gildarts and Bacchus were on…trying to retrace Cana Alberona's footsteps. Rogue and Sting lead a team to the address that Evergreen had tracked down – the house that Toby and Yuka allegedly lived in.
Another police team were tasked with the prisoner that Jellal had handed to Sting and Rogue, with the explanation that he'd been found unconscious at the site of Daisuke's attack, and had taken him down to the station. The man was drooling slightly and rather dazed…and he was horribly…flatulent. Nonetheless, the officers were instructed to get him something to eat and drink, then question him for any information he might know about the events of the night before. They hadn't gotten that far.
They lasted 20 minutes with Sting's prisoner. Yukino received the call just as she'd finally closed her eyes and was drifting off to sleep - not an easy feat considering everything that was going on. Her heart was breaking for Laki, who was sobbing even though she finally appeared to be asleep. Even the woman's dreams were not giving her rest from her grief. When the cell phone rang, she begrudgingly answered it in the hopes that it was news. It wasn't. Nobody had heard anything from the police that scoured the city.
She was being called down to the station since she was the best interrogator on the force. The prisoner was being stubborn and the officers needed her help. The officers figured Yukino was the only one that could break the jerk at this rate. Fluffing her ego didn't make it any easier to leave the Dragneel house, even though Lucy promised to watch over Ren and Saichi. She was just as worried about Daisuke and Cana as everyone else was. She wanted to be with the families when news came.
She strutted in the door, the front desk lady already handing a much-needed coffee out to her. She grabbed it and muttered her thanks as she made her way to the Observation Room that overlooked the Interrogation Room holding their prisoner.
"What's going on?" she asked as she barged into the Observation Room. She put her coffee down, planting both hands on the table and stared into the Interrogation Room.
"He won't talk," the female cop beside her, Karena said, "Phil's been at it for an hour. A few minutes after he came in, whatever daze the prisoner was in dissipated. He's cognitive again. And he's just mocking the officers. Phil's the third one who's tried to get information from him."
The prisoner was a lanky man with large eyebrows and a huge nose. She could see that he was in no hurry and felt no intimidation whatsoever. The poor officer in the room with him, Phil, was a rookie, only having been on the Magnolia Police Force for about 6 months.
"C'mon, man…" Phil begged, the desperation showing on his face. He looked emotionally drained.
Yukino raised an eyebrow, feeling a tad sorry for the rookie cop.
"Just tell me what you were doing on the path," Phil suggested.
"I was watching birds," the prisoner burst out laughing, "and frolicking with nearby deer! Do you like to frolic? Because you look like you could use some time outdoors to frolic. I can call my bird friends, if you want."
Phil looked like he was about to cry. Yukino shook her head, wondering why a rookie was sent in there in the first place. Glancing around the police station, she realized they were all rookies. All the higher-ranking officers were out conducting investigations on their missing persons and this was who was available to stay at the station in their absence. Yukino pressed her fingers to the bridge of her nose with a heavy sigh.
"Do you really wanna get booked?" Phil asked, "Don't you wanna go home?"
The prisoner snickered, "What I want is some food – wasn't I promised food? And bring me something to drink too!"
Yukino motioned to Karena, "Go get me a sandwich from the kitchen please. Doesn't have to be fancy. I just need it for leverage."
She nodded, disappearing down the hall. Yukino turned her attention back to the Interrogation Room."
"Can you at least tell me your name?" Phil was asking, his voice sounding remarkably like a whine.
"Those who hear my name quiver in fear," the man warned, "Once you hear it, you can't unhear it."
Phil sat back slightly. Yukino sighed. The prisoner was not supposed to intimidate the interrogator.
Karena appeared at the door, holding a ham sandwich with mayonnaise on a plate in one hand and a bottled water in the other.
"Thanks," Yukino said, grabbing her coffee. She realized she couldn't carry both, so the water bottle was left behind.
Stomping around the corner, she slammed open the door.
"Take a break, Phil," she said flatly, "I'll take over from here."
Phil gazed at her gratefully, then wasted no time scooting out the door Yukino held open. It slammed behind him, effectively locking Yukino in the room alone with the prisoner.
"I'm Officer Yukino Eucliffe," she told him, turning the chair around so that she could sit on it backwards, "And I hear you're being a total pain in the ass."
"I can do lots of things with my ass," the man told her, "And how painful it is depends on – "
"DO NOT finish that sentence!" Yukino half-yelled, sticking up a hand to silence him. She leaned forward, "Being a pig won't go far with me. I'll tell you how it is…you be straight up with me, I'll be straight up with you. Got it?"
"I wasn't lying. My ass really can do amazing things. And I'm not sure why I should tell you a damned thing," the man muttered.
Yukino cocked an eyebrow, "You really want to test me? You'll sing, asshole. You're going to tell me everything."
He tossed her a half-smile, accepting her challenge with his eyes.
She slammed a sandwich down in front of the man, narrowing her eyes intimidatingly.
"Want this?"
She could see him drooling over the sight of the sandwich. His stomach growled, indicating it may have been a while since he's last eaten.
"What's your name?" she asked, "I don't feel like calling you 'asshole' all day."
He laughed, "Yukino, is it? You're a pretty small lady to be trying to be the bad cop."
"I'm not trying to be anything," Yukino replied, "I just want answers. Start with your name and I'll give you the sandwich."
He grinned at her, raising one of his eyebrows, "Okay…I'm going to play your game. Because I'm curious…and I'm really hungry. They call me 'Jiggle'."
"Jiggle…" Yukino repeated, "Yeah…that's not a name."
"It is a name," Jiggle insisted, "A name that strikes fear in all who meet me."
She stifled a scoffing snort, taking a sip of her coffee instead.
"Okay…let's try this again…" Yukino said to the man, "Your name…and don't reply 'Jiggle' because that's not a name. The truth – if you feel like leaving the station this millennium."
Jiggle's defiance flashed in his eyes as he stared Yukino down, "I already told you. I have no name other than 'Jiggle'."
Yukino sighed heavily, "Then how about an address? We can't let you go until you provide information so we can track you down again if necessary."
"I have no address!" Jiggle denied.
"Do you want this sandwich or not?" Yukino demanded, threatening to throw the sandwich in the garbage.
"Fine!" Jiggle exploded. He went to rip the sandwich from her hand, but she jerked it away.
"Your name and address!" she insisted.
"It's Farley, okay?" Jiggle grabbed the sandwich, taking a big bite, "And I live in Onibus."
"Exact address," Yukino said, staring into his eyes.
Jiggle harrumphed, pouting.
"What were you doing on the path in a residential district if you live in Onibus?" Yukino demanded.
He made fluttering motions with his hands, "Catching butterflies."
Yukino shook her head, glancing to the one-way window on her left. She could practically hear the gathering officers on the other side shaking their heads. As an interrogator, Yukino was top-notch. It was rare that she couldn't break a person and get them to confess...or determine their innocence. But this man was infuriating. Her frustration showed on her face as she tried again.
"What's it going to take, Farley…How can I convince you to tell me what you were doing on the path? What happened there?"
"Put some cheese on this sandwich…" Jiggle replied, "…And maybe some broccoli."
Yukino rolled her eyes, "Nobody eats broccoli on their sandwich. I'm getting tired of your bullshit, Farley…"
"I want a car outside…and $30,000 cash in unmarked bills in a duffle bag in the front seat," Jiggle replied, "And no cop tails."
"Yeah, that's not going to happen," Yukino replied, "I have a better idea…you spill what you know about what happened on that path and I won't put you in the same jail cell as Sally."
Jiggle grinned, "Maybe I'd like a jail cell with Sally!"
Yukino snapped her fingers, a picture appearing on the overhead screen of a very large lady with pink pigtails in a maid outfit.
"That's Sally?" Jiggle asked, wiggling his bushy eyebrows. Yukino wondered how it was possible to maintain such control over his eyebrows, especially big, bushy ones like his…that couldn't be natural, "I'm not choosy. Hook us up!"
Yukino snapped her fingers a second time. A picture of Sally's face close up appeared…detailing her whiskers and unibrow.
"Now THAT'S a woman!" Jiggle exclaimed.
Yukino sighed, "What do you know, Farley?"
"Absolutely nothing," Jiggle said nonchalantly, grabbing Yukino's coffee and drinking it back in one gulp, "I was out for a walk. That's all. Didn't see nothin'."
She gawked at his rudeness.
Jiggle had devoured the entire sandwich, glancing up at her with a new glint in his eye.
"I'll get you another sandwich if you tell me what you really saw," Yukino offered.
"You fool!" Jiggle cackled, "That single sandwich was all I needed to recharge my powers! Now prepare to face my wrath!"
Jiggle began wiggling in his seat, his butt cheeks vibrating both the chair and the table.
"What are you doing? Stop that!" Yukino demanded, raising her hand to the one-way mirror when he persisted. Instantly, three cops barged into the room.
"Too late!" Jiggle squealed with glee, "You'll wish that you'd agreed to the car!"
The three other cops rounded the table, grabbing him by the arms to restrain him. Jiggle squeezed his butt cheeks, releasing a foul stench that had a visibly green colour to it. All three cops covered their noses instantly, coughing and gasping for air. Yukino's eyes widened in horror as they collapsed to the ground. The stench hit her and she ran for the door, pounding on it to be released. Her eyes were watering as she felt herself losing consciousness as well.
Thankfully, the door opened just as the room started to spin. Someone grabbed Yukino's arm, pulling her outside the door, then slamming it shut behind her.
"Get the hazmat team!" she heard someone yell, "There's still men inside!"
Yukino gasped for air, her vision slowly coming back into focus as the clean air filtered through her lungs.
"What is wrong with that man?" she demanded, finally feeling enough strength coming back to her to stomp into the room that contained the other side of the one-way mirror. Jiggle sat placidly in the interrogation chair. The three unfortunate officers were completely passed out.
"I was called in to represent him," her rescuer said.
Yukino turned, recognizing Max Alors. He was a local lawyer, semi-retired. Sometimes he came in to help criminals make their plea. He'd been listening to the microphone the entire time.
"Are you really going to represent this pig?" Yukino asked, glancing back at the men on the floor. Jiggle had his feet on the table, whistling a happy tune to himself.
Max shook his head, "Not if I can help it…but you know you can't hold him, Yukino."
"He admitted to helping someone detain Daisuke," Yukino argued.
"He admitted to going for a walk on the path. Where's your witness that heard him admit he had anything to do with a crime? He didn't use names," Max argued, "and he didn't mention who hired him."
Yukino frowned.
"Can you prove he was there?" Max asked.
"Sting said someone turned him over," Yukino stated, "He was found unconscious at the scene."
"And who is that someone?" Max queried.
Yukino went quiet again. Men in HazMat suits barged into the interrogation room. Two detained Jiggle by the arms against the wall while more grabbed the fallen police officers and dragged them to safety.
Two of the HazMat crew began spraying the air with industrial spray cans.
Jiggle jiggled his butt.
"WATCH OUT!" Yukino screamed, "He's going to blow again!"
"They can't hear you!" Max yelled, running for the door.
It was too late. The explosion, a combination of the spray the men were using and the gas that expelled from Jingle, rocked the room. Yukino could have sworn it actually shook the windows as she dove beneath the table in the interrogation observation room. The force of the explosion made Max stumble, falling onto his knees. He grabbed hold of a broom from the corner of the hallway, preparing to defend himself and Yukino if Jiggle tried to force his way out the door, but as the debris settled, it became apparent he hadn't gone anywhere.
Jiggle sat proudly in his chair, his eyebrows slightly singed. He took a deep breath through his nose and smiled wickedly. Yukino and Max slowly rose to their feet, Max still holding his broom protectively.
"There's more where that came from!" Jiggle yelled to the window before he started cackling again.
"Get him out of there! Put him in the most secure room we have!" Yukino demanded, "And stick a cork in him or something!"
More cops scattered to restrain Jiggle and take him from the room. The unfortunate men in HazMat suits coughed, writhing on the ground in shock as they saw parts of their suits eroding from exposure to…whatever kind of gas that was.
"Go take a shower!" Yukino ordered. The men scrambled. She could still hear Jiggle laughing like a maniac as he was lead away.
The interrogation room now empty, Yukino flopped herself into a chair, covering her eyes with her hands.
"Can we detain him for assault with a deadly biological weapon?" she asked Max.
Max shook his head slowly.
"How about attempting mass murder?" she queried.
Again, Max shook his head, "All he did was fart."
She sighed again, feeling completely depleted…and completely unsure of how she would document this in her paperwork.
Either way, Jiggle – Farley – would walk before lunchtime if they didn't get some viable proof that he was involved.
She watched him quietly, completely concealed from even Angels, as he cuddled with the blue-haired minx…Gajeel and Levy's daughter if Mavis wasn't mistaken. She'd known they were close friends through reports of fellow Angels, but Mavis didn't know there was a possibility it had evolved into more. She frowned, wondering how Gajeel would handle that possibility. People were starting to stir. If they didn't pull apart soon, someone would notice for sure.
His blonde hair lay gently around his eyes. Mavis marveled at how handsome he was. He looked a lot like her, but he had Zeref's dark eyes. She supposed if that's all he inherited from Zeref, that was more than enough.
She couldn't help herself. Incanting a spell quickly to ensure everyone would stay asleep just a little longer, she sat down beside Larcade, reaching out hesitantly to touch his hair. She smiled as he let out a sigh of contentment, then ran her fingers lightly through his locks. She remembered when he was a baby how much he loved having her stroke his hair. His hair was so soft…just like it was then.
She glanced at his bandaged forehead, gently reaching out. She tugged gently, taking it off. She cringed, noting the cross-shaped scar that was only half-healed. She felt the strong urge to heal it for him…pausing again as Sora shifted.
She supposed Wendy hadn't healed it completely since it would suspicious to have such a complete recovery in so short a time. But she wanted to. Mavis fought the urge as she felt Larcade shift in her hands, placing his head so that she cradled it. He used to do that as a baby too.
She pushed off the tears threatening to come to her eyes, begging silently for his forgiveness that she'd had to give him up.
"My sweet boy," she whispered. Her other hand left its' place at her side and traveled up to his forehead, despite her earlier self-reservations. There was a soft glow, then she rebandaged his forehead as best as she could. Slight guilt twanged through her. She knew she had no right to intervene with his healing…she just couldn't help herself. She moved down to his arm, sending the same soft glow through it, then leaned forward, kissing his forehead.
"I'll be watching you," she whispered, "I'll find a time for us to be alone…and then I'll tell you everything."
Larcade stirred as Mavis faded into the background.
"Lark?" Sora asked, her eyes fluttering open, "Is everything okay?"
He nodded slowly, "Yeah. I just had the weirdest dream."
"I don't think I dreamt," she whispered, "I'm surprised I slept at all. I can't stop thinking about Daisuke and Cana."
Lark nodded, "I know. It's heavy on my mind too."
She sighed, "But if we're smart, I'll go back to my bed now. We can talk about it later. I'm sure it will be the only topic of discussion today."
Sora pulled away from his warmth, heading back to where she should have slept throughout the night. Her face was flushed and Lark found himself wondering if he crossed a line again. He knew he shouldn't encourage her feelings for him. As much as he cared for her, Sora could only ever be a best friend. Something told him that deep down, she wasn't meant for him. He caught himself momentarily wondering why again as he watched her settle into her own blankets. If he was honest with himself, he liked Sora so much, he had no idea if he cared for her as more than a friend. She was Sora…his best friend of a lot of years.
But then, why would her flirtations with Daisuke bother him?
It was unimportant. Sora was off limits, even if he couldn't explain why to himself. He closed his eyes, banishing all thoughts for the moment to say another silent prayer for Daisuke and Cana. He hoped the police had found something…anything…to point them in the right direction.
Natsu cringed as he approached Fairy Tail, unsure if he wanted to re-enter the walls that held Dan Straight again. A group had gone back to Cana and Bacchus's place, but found nothing suspicious at all in the apartment. Enno, Tono, and Warren were re-checking all the bars, which should be empty at this time of the day. Natsu, Romeo, Gildarts, and Bacchus needed to see if they could figure out why Cana had visited Fairy Tail and confirm Sting's suspicion that she was looking for something specific.
Bacchus lead the way, knowing exactly where Cana's office was, much to Gildarts' obvious displeasure. Natsu followed behind, taking deep breaths to calm the rage that bubbled inside of him. He wasn't going to see Dan. He was going to Cana's office. Dan would not have another chance to rile him up. Stop thinking about Dan.
"It was a long while ago," Loke was saying, "She came, said she was looking for her stash of sake, and was gone within 10 minutes. But something odd did happen…she refused a couple shots with us before she left."
The other men hummed. That was unusual.
"Anything odd happening with Jackass and Dumb Straight?" Romeo asked.
Mest shook his head, "Naw. They've been quiet for the most part…although they kept up their mealtime heckling. I'd say they were acting completely normally."
"We'll check the office. How much longer is your shift?" Gildarts queried.
"Mest and I have taken up residence upstairs," Loke said, "And of course, Aries goes where I go. Kinana is upstairs right now with her. I'm never far, but some new guards are apparently arriving in the morning. We're covered here. Don't worry about us."
"Okay," Natsu nodded to him, "We'll check the office, then get out of your hair."
Bacchus and Gildarts both headed into the door at the same time, and got stuck in the frame.
If he wasn't worried about losing his temper before, Natsu was pretty sure he would have to now. Bacchus and Gildarts were acting like children, swatting at each other as they tried to get into the office before the other. And Natsu failed to see how that was going to help anything.
"She's my daughter and I used to be on the police force! You have no clue how to look for details on her computer, nor do you have the right!" Gildarts growled.
"Get out of the way, old man," Bacchus retorted, "She wouldn't want you digging through her things."
"Gildarts is right," Natsu spoke up, "These records are off limits to unauthorized personnel. Sorry Bacchus."
Bacchus grunted his disapproval, but backed out of the doorway to let Gildarts through. Gildarts shot him a triumphant look, heading straight for the computer.
"But Bacchus is right too," Natsu piped up, just as Gildarts was about to sit at the desk, "You aren't authorized to look at her computer either. You're retired."
"Not tonight I'm not," Gildarts growled, but moved aside as Natsu took the chair.
"She didn't even shut it down," Romeo commented, watching Natsu turn on the screen. Both of them frowned.
"What is it?" Bacchus asked.
"Toby Hortora and Yuka Suzuki's address," Romeo replied, "Did…Cana know about the bullying?"
Natsu shook his head, "Not that I know of. But she has been spending a lot of time with Lark. Maybe one of the kids mentioned it to her."
"But Lark didn't know," Bacchus pointed out, "Remember his little tantrum last night?"
Gildarts hummed to himself, "I'd say that's where she went though. Sting and Rogue are already there."
Bacchus was already heading out the door, "Then that's where we should be."
Natsu scribbled down the address.
Romeo and Natsu exchanged glances, following a determined Gildarts out the door.
"Hey Loke!" Natsu shouted on the way out. He'd never been so happy to leave a building…except maybe the time he and his kids were caught in the fire, "Shut Cana's computer down, wouldja?
They didn't wait for an answer, Natsu in particular more than ready to leave Fairy Tail behind.
"This is it," Evergreen said to Sting, turning the car and coming to a stop outside a run-down shack of a house. It was at the end of cul-de-sac, one house on either end of it. Both the other houses were decidedly run down as well, but they were palaces compared to the shack that matched the address Evergreen had tracked down.
"That's Cana's car," Rogue said from the back seat, pointing across the street.
The officers scrambled out of the cruiser, Droy's squad car parking behind them.
"By some miracle, her purse is still in here," Sting called back, checking the entire car over. He tried the door handles, "And it's still locked. Doesn't look like it's been tampered with."
"Macao, call a tow truck, would you?" Rogue called back, "Get them to take it to the station and have someone get her purse out. Bacchus or Gildarts can claim for claim itfor her later."
Macao scrambled off to make the phone call as Sting bent down beside the tires.
"She didn't arrive here in a hurry. She wasn't forced off the road," he commented, "Droy, tell Gildarts we found the car. He's our best tracker… and he should be here."
Droy nodded, walking a short distance away to make the call.
"Should we wait for them?" Rogue asked.
Sting hummed his indecisiveness. Nervousness began to spread through his body. He hoped they were about to find their missing friends. The back up might be needed.
"Gildarts's crew is already on the way," Droy called out, "They've gone through Cana's office. It looks like her visit there earlier in the evening was to find this address."
"Which means she knew about the bullying too," Sting said more to himself than anyone else, "Make sure they leave a couple of the men at Fairy Tail for extra protection for the employees…in case there's a connection."
Droy nodded, then turned his back to relay the message to the other crew.
"I don't want to wait," Rogue commented, "If Daisuke and Cana are there, I don't want to wait any longer than we have to."
Sting saw his friend's point, but the nagging feeling made chills go down his back, "I really think we should wait."
Rogue shot him an angry glare.
"My son is missing," he reminded Sting, "And every moment we waste…I don't want to think about what could be happening to him."
Sting and Rogue came to a stop behind Evergreen. Flashlights were no longer necessary since the sun was now coming up rather quickly. Droy, Nab, Alzack, and Macao halted behind them, exchanging glances. The property was a mess. Old furniture lined the rotting house amongst debris of Mavis-Only-Knew-What.
"This place needs to be condemned," Alzack muttered, "I can't believe this address belongs to anybody."
"Well, this is the address listed on the school records," Evergreen told them.
"There aren't any lights on," Macao commented.
"Of course not," Droy snapped, "It's barely dawn. If anyone is inside, they're sleeping."
Rogue let out a deep breath, "Well, let's take a look around. Spread out. Stay in teams."
Droy and Macao took off around one side the house with Alzack and Nab. Evergreen, Rogue and Sting started around the back.
It was eerie. There was a slight whistle, identified quickly as the window filtering through a broken window. A rat ran across a wood pile in front of them, startling both Sting and Rogue a bit. Evergreen shook her head, going on ahead.
"The back door isn't locked," Evergreen called back.
Both Sting and Rogue rushed to catch up to her.
"Knock on it," Sting told her, "Then get away from the door."
Evergreen knocked, stepping back beside her colleagues. The creaky branches of the tree overhanging the door scraped against the window.
Sting rapped on the door louder, then tried the broken doorbell.
"What do we do?" Evergreen asked.
"We make an announcement," Rogue replied impatiently, "If Daisuke and Cana are in there, I'm done with formalities."
Sting nodded in agreement.
Rogue stepped up to the door, opening the door and opened it slightly.
"This is the Magnolia Police Department! We're coming in!"
He flung the door open wide after that, one hand on his revolver as he stepped inside the decaying structure. Evergreen and Sting followed, all them freezing to listen for any movement. It was silent. Daybreak didn't provide enough light for them to see well inside the house.
"This is the Magnolia Police Department!" Sting yelled a little louder, "If anyone is in the house, please respond!"
Still no answer.
Rogue fumbled around the kitchen, turning on the light. They all groaned in disgust as they realized the inside of the house was worse than the outside. The floor was littered with garbage and empty bottles of beer. Some of them were broken. The stench hung in the air, giving the entire house a musty, stale smell.
"Spread out," Sting ordered, "but keep your radio ready. Alzack! We're inside the house. Stand by."
"No problem, Chief," Alzack replied.
"Someone's been here in the past few days," Rogue commented, observing some half-eaten bowls of ramen, "Those are not covered in mold like the others."
Evergreen screwed up her nose as she looked in the sink, "Same can't be said for the dishes in the sink…I am seriously resisting the urge to puke."
"You and me both," Rogue muttered, noting the fly larvae as he stupidly moved a garbage bag to look for pictures on a bookshelf in the living room.
"Two bedrolls in this bedroom," Sting called out.
Rogue and Evergreen met Sting in the bedroom, looking at the sleeping bags with multiple tears in them. The pillows were stained. There were no clothes that Sting could see, but then, the entire house was so dirty, they wouldn't be able to decipher clothing if they tried.
"Squatters?" Rogue asked.
"Maybe," Sting said, "Any way we look at it, there's no way this is Toby and Yuka's house. Kids who live on their own don't show up at school every day."
Evergreen hummed her agreement, going to check out the other bedroom. It was appallingly like a hoarder's house she'd seen on TV. Things were stacked everywhere, none of it neatly organized. Stains indicating water damage spotted the ceiling.
"I think the house is clear," Rogue said, coming out of the third bedroom. He closed the door behind him, "Something died in there…I think it was a rat."
The other two groaned their disgust.
"Look at this," Evergreen called from the hall.
Sting and Rogue joined her, both of them humming their confusion. She had the hall closet open. Inside there was a vacuum and a couple brooms.
"Seem out of place to you?" Sting asked, "It's the only half-decently clear area in the entire house."
"By the contents of the closet, I'd say that's why it's clean," Rogue lamented, "Nobody has ever touched this stuff."
"Sting, this is Gildarts," Gildarts's voice droned over the radio, "We're outside. We found something in the front yard."
"We'll be right out," Sting passed back through the transmitter. He turned to the other two, "I doubt there's anything here, but that doesn't mean we won't come back for a more thorough check later once we have a warrant to go through things."
Rogue groaned, "Or someone else can do it. It'll take hours to sift through all this shit. There's no names on papers and no pictures that we can see on the top layer."
"Let's go see what Gildarts found," Evergreen suggested, "Perhaps that will lead us somewhere more concrete."
They exited the house, finding Natsu, Romeo, Gildarts, Bacchus, Droy, Nab, Alzack, and Macao on the left side of the house. Alzack had gloves on and was picking something up off the ground. Droy had an evidence bag in hand, waiting for the item. Gildarts walked the area, his eyes glued to the ground.
"What'd you find?" Rogue called out.
"It's a jackknife," Macao told them.
"Anything else?" Evergreen asked.
"Yeah," Droy told them, holding up another evidence bag, "Sunglasses."
"Shit," Sting took a deep breath as he recognized the studded rims, "Those are Cana's."
He noted Gildarts's and Bacchus's somber expressions as they continued to search the area.
"We confirmed Cana was looking for Toby and Yuka's address," Gildarts stated, "She didn't even close the page on her computer."
"What do you think, Gildarts?" Rogue asked, watching the older man bend down to examine some footprints. There were spiked heels prints and running shoe prints.
"She fought back," Gildarts said with a straight face, "She tried to get away."
He gestured to the length of the flattened grass.
"Someone attacked her," Gildarts said, "Male, judging by the size and indentations of the other set of footprints. But I don't know what happened from there. All the footprints just…disappear."
Bacchus swore under his breath, kicking a nearby pile of rubble.
"So what do we do now?" Romeo asked.
Sting paused for a moment, "Rogue, take Evergreen and Alzack back to the Dragneel's. It's time to find out everything Aki and Sora know about the bullying."
"It looks like Lark was right," Rogue sighed, "Toby and Yuka are definitely involved."
"The question is, where are they now?" Evergreen asked.
"And more importantly," Bacchus added, "Where did they take Daisuke and Cana? The house is empty…of people anyway."
"Call in a forensics team," Sting told Droy, "Search every square inch of this property. There's got to be a clue somewhere."
Droy nodded, taking out his cell phone again to make some calls.
"If you're going to talk to Aki and Sora," Sting said, glancing at Rogue, "Then maybe Gildarts and I will go back to the trail where Daisuke was taken. We're missing something."
Rogue took a deep breath, then motioned to Alzack and Evergreen, all of them heading for the squad car.
Gildarts was trying to mask his own pain, running a hand through his dark red hair.
"We'll find them," Natsu said feebly. His own confidence was waning. Their only lead had turned up the location of Cana's abduction, but there was nothing else so far.
Rogue sighed, feeling completely helpless as Gildarts continued wading through the grass, looking for more clues. Closing his eyes, he prayed that the Angels were having more luck.
Cana's heart was pounding as she desperately searched the pitch-black room for any signs of light. It was fruitless. Until the dawn emerged, she would not be able to decipher anything except empty black darkness. She stroked Daisuke's hair gently, pulling his still-unconscious form onto her lap.
"They'll know we're gone by now," she told him, grinding her teeth to help dissipate her rage, "They'll be coming for us...but until they find us, it's up to you and me to raise a little hell."
He groaned, unable to move. Every muscle and bone in his body hurt. It was pitch black. He couldn't make out any flickers of light anywhere in the room. Slowly, he realized his head was on someone's lap. She cradled his head protectively, stroking his hair gently.
"Daisuke…" Cana heaved a sigh of relief.
"Cana?" he asked, after taking a moment to process the sound of her voice.
"Yeah," she replied, "I'm here."
"Where are we?" he groaned, trying to get up. His efforts were wasted.
"Don't move," she told him, "You're injured and we can't see how bad right now. You're better off staying still."
"My body is killing me," Daisuke acknowledged, "What about you? Are you hurt?"
"I took a punch to the head," Cana admitted, "But I'm okay. I'm more worried about you."
Daisuke took a slow breath, remembering bits and pieces.
He'd been followed when he left the Dragneel household. He was ambushed…
"Where are we?" he asked again.
She sighed, adjusting her position slightly so that she could try to make Daisuke more comfortable.
"I think we're in a basement," she told him.
"What happened?"
She shook her head, regardless of the fact that Daisuke wouldn't be able to see her do so, "I was investigating your bullies. I found Toby and Yuka's address and checked out their house…fucking shit-show, that place…there was this man who caught me looking in the windows…he knocked me out. And now I'm here. They brought you in a few hours later."
"Toby and Yuka," Daisuke growled, attempting to get up again.
She stilled him with her hands, "Tell me what happened to you."
He groaned as pain wracked his body. Moving was a very bad idea…very bad, "I was walking home from the Dragneel's…and I knew someone was following me. Toby…and Yuka…and a bunch of men I didn't know…they ambushed me."
"Is the pain bad?" Cana asked.
"I'm not dying," he lamented, "But I hurt...a lot. Can we get out of this room?"
"No," she said, "I've been around all the edges. I can't see enough to tell where the entrance is."
"Do you have your cell phone?" he asked, remembering that his had been lost in the forest.
"No," she sighed, "Dickhead took it. Along with my bear spray, two jackknives, and my taser."
Daisuke snickered.
"I'm kicking myself for leaving my purse in the car," Cana told him, "The majority of my arsenal is in it. But they didn't find the brass knuckles. They're still hidden between the girls."
Daisuke snorted this time as he realized what she was saying. He groaned as the movement made his side hurt. He threw a hand onto his side, noting it was damp...probably from his blood.
"We're not bound," Daisuke noticed, deciding not to alarm Cana. He could feel the wound in his side screaming its' pain.
"Which is why I suspect the room is pretty tight," Cana acknowledged, "It's pitch-black and we're not getting out easily."
Daisuke was quiet for a long moment, concentrating on controlling his pain level. It hurt to breathe.
"My parents will have noticed by now," he said softly.
Cana snorted, "I doubt Bacchus has. He'll think I'm with Gildarts...and Gildarts will think I've ditched him again."
Daisuke sighed heavily, "Someone will notice, Cana. Lark will notice for sure. You've been working so hard with him. He'll be wondering when you don't show up for your session."
"Yeah," Cana sighed, hoping that was true.
She grabbed his arms suddenly, beckoning him to be still.
"What is it?" he asked, his eyes widening.
"Footsteps," she replied.
Daisuke could hear them too. Despite the pain, he managed to sit up. Cana maneuvered on the dirt floor so that she was in front of him, listening intently to try to decipher which way the noise was coming from. She slipped the brass knuckles from between her breasts and onto her fingers.
"Did you hear what I said, Daisuke?" she asked, "You and I cannot make it easy for them. We need to fight with everything we have. Got it?"
Daisuke nodded, his eyes wide.
"When I tell you, Daisuke," she said in a low voice, "Go for the door. I know it's going to hurt…just go. And don't look back. I'll be right behind you."
There was a hissing noise as a door released, opening to the left of them. Cana noted it was bright on the other side of the door. She wondered if they were in some kind of cellar.
"They're awake!" someone announced, throwing the door open.
A lightbulb went on above their heads, turned on from the outside, as Toby and Yuka entered. Daisuke's eyes widened as he recognized the purple-haired guy who followed them inside. Cana was busy looking around the room. It was definitely a cellar of some kind. The floor was made of dirt. There was a shelving unit on the left-hand side, but it had no items on it. Clearly, there were no ducts in or out of the room. Her blind assessment that the room was tight was correct.
The door hissed shut, sealing them all inside. The door was the only way in or out. Cana readjusted her body in front of Daisuke, who was leaned against the wall. Daisuke glanced down to his side, relieved to see it was not blood that soaked his shirt, but liquid of some sort. He cringed, glancing at the dirt floor he'd just been lying on. It was littered with disgusting...crap...and there was no telling what the liquid substance he'd been lying in consisted of.
"What do you want?" she growled. Her eyes were still adjusting to the light…but she knew daylight had come. There was no way the light from outside the door was from electricity.
"Just to talk," the purple-haired man said, crouching in front of Cana, "You're a pretty little kitten, aren't you?"
She spat in his face, "Back off."
Toby snickered, "That kitten has claws."
"There's no need for that," the purple-haired man told her, "We have no intention of hurting you."
Both Daisuke and Cana snorted.
"Bullshit," Cana snarled, "If you were on our side, Daisuke would be in a lot better condition."
"I do apologize about that," he told her, making direct eye contact for a harrowing 20 seconds, "You see, we just want information. Once we have it, you'll be returned to your families."
"What could you possibly need to know that would warrant kidnapping?" Daisuke demanded.
"We got off on the wrong foot," the man apologized to Daisuke, completely ignoring Cana, "My name is Hughes. And like Toby and Yuka told you when we first…'met'…we just wanted to talk. If you had come with us peacefully, violence wouldn't have been necessary."
"Bullshit!" Cana stated, "Kidnappers don't 'just want to talk'. What's your deal?"
He gave her a lopsided smile, "Clever girl. Okay. I can see being direct with you will be more effective. I want to know about Larcade Dragneel."
"What about him?" Cana growled, "He's a 16-year-old kid in high school. Not much to tell."
"He's no ordinary teenager and you know it," Hughes challenged her, "We need to know what you know about his powers."
"Powers!" Daisuke scoffed, "You must mean his ability to talk his way into a date with any girl he wants!"
"Or maybe his ability to get into trouble," Cana added.
"Oh wait!" Daisuke placed a hand on Cana's shoulder, "Could they mean Lark's ability to skateboard? He's got serious talent – "
"You know damned well what I'm talking about!" Hughes half-yelled, "Larcade has a special ability! Now what do you know about it?"
"What about you?" Daisuke asked, "I saw you guys in the forest…what you were doing wasn't ordinary either."
Hughes considered that comment for a moment, "Okay. I'll level with you. We need to know just how Larcade attained his abilities. We have reason to believe that he's the son of a man very precious to us. We need proof."
"Lark is a normal teenager," Cana told him flatly, "He has no special abilities."
"He doesn't see Angels, then?" Hughes asked, watching both their faces for a reaction. Daisuke flinched slightly, "Ah…you see? You do know something."
"Whose son would he be?" Cana interjected, trying to take Hughes' focus off of Daisuke, "He's the son of Natsu and Lucy Dragneel…that's all."
Hughes shook his head, "Okay. Play it your way, then. I'm sure Sora Redfox or Aki Dragneel would be able to shed a little more light on the situation. Don't you think so, Daisuke?"
Daisuke tightened his fists, "Stay away from them."
"You know," Hughes said, still focusing on Daisuke, "I have special abilities too."
He waved his hands over his body, instantly transforming. Daisuke's mouth dropped open.
"Mary?" he asked, "How…?"
"I'm a demon!" Mary grinned, reaching out to run a finger down Daisuke's arm, "See? Toldja I have powers too. And it's so fortunate Sora and Aki and I have gotten to be such good friends! I think I'll go check on them tomorrow at the Dragneel house."
"Get away from him, you asshole!" Cana roared, throwing herself into Mary's body with flailing fists. She used the brass knuckles to crack at her jaw, but missed, "So help me, Mavis – don't you touch them!"
Toby and Yuka grabbed her arms, attempting to pull her off to the opposite corner so that Mary could recompose herself from the surprise attack.
Cana's eyes were practically smoking with fury as she stared them down. She stood protectively between Mary, the men and Daisuke, her fists ready for action.
"I don't normally hit children," she warned, "but I'm not above it today."
"You're spunky," Mary commented, "Perhaps you like the idea of my having a conversation with Aki and Sora?"
Both Toby and Yuka were wide eyed, their fear edging into their eyes. They were backed into opposite corners of the room, staring with wild eyes at Daisuke. It was obvious to Cana that they were not seasoned fighters. She wondered briefly what would make them agree to work for such horrible people…demons, if what Mary said was true.
"You disgust me," Daisuke told both Toby and Yuka, "Agreeing to work with this greedy bitch."
"Getting back to the point," Mary interrupted, refocusing all eyes on her, "It would likely be more convenient if you talked to us instead of Sora and Aki. Really now…they don't have to get involved…but that's your choice."
Cana lunged again, attempting another hit to the jaw.
Mary stepped out of the way, then waved her hands over body again, going back to her Hughes form.
"ENOUGH!" Hughes yelled. His eyes started to glow purple, making Cana back up beside Daisuke, her eyes wide.
"You're really a demon?" Daisuke asked in awe.
"You don't want to know," Hughes warned, "I can take you both out in a single strike. Don't piss me off anymore."
"I don't give a shit what you are," Cana shot back, "We don't know anything…let us go."
Hughes' expression softened, his face lit up in an amused grin, "You are feisty. I like that in a woman. Toby! Yuka! I'll leave you here for the day. Maybe being locked in here with the two of you will be enough to convince them to talk. I'm going to go to the Dragneel house. I think my 'best friends' could use a little girl talk to distract them from being worried about their missing friends."
"Don't leave us in here!" Yuka begged, "Toby can't handle confined spaces for long. He's fine now because he thought he was leaving…please don't leave us in here!"
All eyes turned to Toby, whose face was draining of colour.
"If you want to work with the big boys," Hughes said, knocking at the door, "You need to learn to deal with things like big boys. Find out what we need to know, and our arrangement can become permanent."
Both Toby and Yuka nodded slowly, eyes wide.
The door opened slightly. Hughes turned, ready to exit.
Cana nodded to Daisuke and they both charged, knocking Hughes to his knees. Cana's brass knuckles connected with Hughes' head, but she didn't stop to make a more direct hit.
"GO!" she yelled, tightening her grip on her brass knuckles as they broke through the door.
They pushed out the door, realizing they were in a cabin of some sort…and there were very large men outside the door as well.
"SHIT!" Daisuke yelled as he dodged a punch from a blonde-haired man, "Which way is out, Cana?"
Cana ducked under the arm of a white-haired man, slamming her elbow down on his back. But the man was huge. He didn't go down, instead whirling around and picking Cana up by the neck, his eyes glowing almost black.
Hughes took the opportunity to slip the brass knuckles off Cana's fingers.
"You won't be needing these," he told her.
Daisuke was throwing a punch at the blonde-haired Elvis wannabe.
"Byro!" Hughes yelled, holding out a pointed hand to him, "Do not hurt her."
Daisuke froze mid-punch, alarm spreading throughout his body as he saw Cana's body dangling from Byro's arm.
"Go back into the cell," Hughes told Daisuke, "Sugarboy…help him out a little."
Sugarboy nudged Daisuke's side, causing him to cry out, as he shoved Daisuke back into the cellar. Byro followed, still holding Cana by the neck. Her knuckles were white where she tried to hold his choke back. He threw her into the cellar beside Toby none-too-gently, Daisuke immediately falling to his knees beside her.
"Try that again," Hughes warned, "And I won't hold them back. Now…be good little prisoners and tell Yuka and Toby what we need to know. We'll talk to you in a few hours…after my little visit with Aki and Sora."
The door shut behind the men, sealing Toby, Yuka, Cana, and Daisuke inside. Immediately, Toby began to hyperventilate.
"Are you okay?" Daisuke asked Cana, shooting a glare and Toby. Yuka was beside him, rubbing circles into his back.
She was winded, handprints vividly noticeable on her neck.
"Well, fuck," she gasped between breaths. Her breathing was starting to normalize, but Daisuke could see she was furious – and that probably wasn't helping it any, "That didn't go as planned!"
Panic coursed through Daisuke's veins, wishing with all his heart that he had a way to warn his closest friends and their families about the imminent danger.
Beside him, Cana's anger oozed from her eyes as she stared down Toby and Yuka. She planned to give Toby and Yuka information, all right. But they were going to give her information too.
A/N There will be a chapter next week for Angel of Oops 2, but we're going to take a 1 week hiatus in lieu of Nalu Week during the first week of July! I've accepted a challenged to write 21 one-shots! So far...I'm about halfway through the first one (but you'll love it...the title is Buck-A-Suck...that's all I'm giving you for now).
The poll on my profile page is still open! I'm getting some surprising answers about your favourite Oops 2 ships!
Thanks as always to my amazing editors, OtakuPrincess 28 and WordsAreMySpells 1331!
Both are going to be publishing one-shots as well, and if you haven't read WordsAreMySpell1331's story - 'Finding You in Candlelight', please give it a read! I'm addicted!
Oh yeah! Sneak peak! Next chapter, we focus on the training Angels...
Wendy's eyes widened as she watched Grandeeney transform. Her body enlarged to the size of a house, turning white with soft, groomed feathers. She was beautiful.
"Now, Sky Angel," Grandeeney said, laying a gentle wing on Wendy's shoulder, "Are you ready to learn your true power?"
Until next week!
~Shana~