Alert! Extreme violence and PTSD in this chapter. You have been warned.
Gray sat back down at the table with a satisfied smirk on his face.
"Uh-oh I know that look." Natsu said. "Who did you torture?"
"Just some rude individuals who obviously don't know how to speak to a lady."
"Especially when said lady is Juvia right?"
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"I saw the way you were looking at her while she was singing up there. You were totally swooning man."
"Hey guess what?"
"What?"
"Shut up."
Juvia walked over to the table and sat next to them.
"Well what did you guys think?" Juvia asked them.
"Angel face you were probably the greatest performance this place ever had." Natsu said. "By any chance were you like a famous singer or actress in life?"
"I don't think so."
"Well if you were then I have no doubt that you were one of the best."
"So you liked it?"
"Yep. I liked it and I know for a fact Gray did." He said which earned him a glare from his male friend.
"Oh?" Juvia said. "You liked it too."
"It was very...Lovely." Gray admitted while being internally grateful that his body couldn't produce blush anymore.
"Thank you. Thank you both very much. You're so sweet."
The three of them then turned their attention to the stage when Gildarts made another appearance.
"Glad that you all at least enjoyed our last amateur performance for the night." He said. "My special thanks to Miss Juvia for saving my ass back there. You're beautiful baby, thank you."
"You're welcome." She called.
"And now to make up for the inhuman spectacles you had to endure before she came on. I am sending out one of our more professional performers, a personal favorite to some of you regulars here, and the top dancer here! Give it up for Miss Lucky Star!"
As soon as he said that name troubled expression graced Juvia's features.
"Um guys I think we should go now." She said.
"Why? Things are just getting good." Natsu said.
"Yes but I'm tired and...Singing on stage took a lot out of me."
"What's the matter with you Juvia?" Gray asked.
"Nothing. I just think we should leave. It's late and we need to recuperate."
"Okay we'll go." Natsu said. "After this last show."
"Oh no." Juvia said, fearing what was to come.
The curtains went up , the lights dimmed, and exotic music began to play. A ghoulish woman with a very impressive body took the stage and began to dance in a manner that was very agile, graceful, and full of self expression. Each of her movements were in perfect sync with the music and rhythm. Then she amazed the audience with tricks such as bending her body, doing back flips, cart wheels, and spinning herself around and around on a nearby pole.
"Wow she's good." Natsu observed. "Wonder why I haven't seen her here before?"
"She's definitely better than any of those strippers." Gray said.
A spot light shined on her which allowed everyone to see her face and Natsu and Gray were stricken with shock when they saw who's face it was.
"Lucy?!" Natsu called.
Upon hearing her real name being called out she turned in the direction of the voice who said it and was horrified to see to came from a table where her three roommates were sitting at. Disbelief was written all over the faces of Natsu and Gray while Juvia's had regret and was mouthing: "I'm sorry." Repeatedly.
Lucy dropped from her pole. The music stopped and all became quiet and awkward. Feeling humiliated and ashamed, she ran back stage. Her friends immediately went backstage to check on her.
"What do you think you're doing?!" The stage manager shouted at her. "Get back out there and finish!"
"I can't do it!" She said.
"What do you mean you can't do it?"
"I mean I can't. Tell Gildarts that I'm sorry but I just can't do it."
"The hell you can't!" He grabbed her roughly by the arm. Her friends arrived just in time to see it. "You get back out there right now or else!"
"But-"
Suddenly he drew back and slapped Lucy so hard that she fell to the floor.
"Worthless little tramp!"
"Hey!" Natsu shouted angrily. "What the hell are you doing?!"
"How did you three get back here? You're not employed here." The stage manager said.
"Screw that!" He responded by punching him. "What do you think you're doing slapping around my friend?! You keep your damn hands off her!"
"Lucy are you alright?" Juvia asked kneeling down to her aid.
But Lucy didn't hear Juvia nor did she hear Natsu. Right all she heard was that sentence the manager had said to her.
"Worthless little tramp!"
"Worthless little tramp!"
"Worthless little tramp!"
It kept being repeated in her mind over and over again but it was being said by a different voice. There was a strange and unsettling look in her eye. A look that signaled danger.
"Lucy?"
Juvia reached out to give her friend a gentle nudge but when as soon as her fingers touched her, Lucy flinched and screamed. She stood up quick, in a flash she made her spear appear in her hand, and attempted to stab Juvia. Gray instantly grabbed the bluenette and pulled her away from the oncoming blade.
"Lucy what are you doing?" Gray asked. Instead of answering she tried to stab them both. Gray gathered Juvia into a bridal hold and jumped out of the way before they could be stabbed. "Are you insane?!"
"Lucy stop it!" Natsu put his hand on her shoulder and she lashed his arm with her weapon and it was a weapon made by Zeref so it hurt. "Ahh! What did you do that for?!"
"I hate you!" She screamed.
"Hey I always knew you weren't fond of me but isn't this that it a little too far?"
She moved to take another stab but he dodged her. Next thing they knew she was going on a violent rampage. She stabbed the stage manager, slashed everything in sight, threw things, smashed things, it was madness. The whole time she did it she was screaming.
"I hate you! I hate you! How could you do this to me?! I'll make you pay!" Over and over again.
Gildarts heard the ruckus and quickly dismissed everyone from his club before going backstage to see the source of it.
"What's going on here?" He asked.
"We don't know." Gray said with his arms securely around Juvia to shield her from the violence. "You're cracked stage manager slapped her and suddenly she just went crazy."
"I've never seen her like this." Juvia said.
Gildarts looked at Lucy and he could tell by the blind rage, paranoia, and un awareness of what was happening. He had seen it many times before.
"She's flashing back." He told them.
"She is?" Natsu asked.
"Yes something must have triggered a traumatizing memory from her past and now she's reliving it in her mind. She's fully aware of what she's doing."
"What do we do?" Juvia asked.
"I guess we just wait for her to get through it."
"She'll probably destroy us all by then." Natsu said. "In coming!"
They scattered away from the oncoming table being thrown.
"Is it possible that we could calm her down?" Natsu asked.
"I don't know." Gildarts said. "Maybe but I'm not sure if it'll work. Besides who's gonna do it? Getting anywhere near her risks ceasing to exist."
"I'll do it."
"Natsu if she stabs too much with that spear you're a goner." Gray said.
"I think I can get through to her. You all just stay out of the way."
"Be careful Natsu." Juvia warned.
Slowly and with caution Natsu walked toward Lucy. She sensed his presence and turned to face him, eyes full of hatred.
"Lucy." He said calmly. "You need to calm down. You're not where you think you are and I'm not whoever you think I am."
She charged toward him for another stab but he jerked the weapon out of her hand before grabbing her wrists and pulling her into an embrace.
"Let me go! Let me go!" She screamed while beating him as hard as she could. The beatings hurt him greatly but he just ignored them and kept holding her. "I hate you! Do you hear me?! I hate you! Why would you do this to me?! How could you do it?!"
Now she had tears in her eyes. She had gone from being angry to sobbing hysterically.
"I hate you!" She wept. "I hate you more than anything else in the world!"
"It's okay." He said gently, hoping the playing along with her delusions would help. "You can hate me. You can hate me all you want. What I did to you was wrong. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry that I hurt you."
After an hour of this she wore herself out and left her friends feeling scared and concerned for her.
