Warning: Contains disturbing imagery and violence.
*Chapter Twenty-Two: Quarantine
(December 8th, 2017, Friday Morning)
Lucy dug her fingers into her palms as she followed Macao out of the arena, reminding herself to breathe evenly. Despite that, her heart raced, panic crashing over her in waves.
She would relax after a minute, only to freak out again when something unsettled her, like the way someone made eye contact with her as she passed by, or the sound of someone laughing in the distance, making her think of the cruel laughter she heard for weeks, or maybe it was months? She had a poor concept of time when she was a prisoner to those sick lunatics, the minutes feeling like hours, or worse.
Sometimes it felt like time had stopped, the ultimate prison she couldn't escape.
"We gotta get Warcry's body underground fast before he starts smelling," Macao explained, but Lucy didn't need it.
She knew how gross decomposing bodies smelled, the scent forever ingrained in her mind.
Macao entered the school with Lucy right behind him. She said nothing, letting him do all the talking. It wasn't uncommon for her to remain silent, even when someone was speaking directly to her. Most people had gotten used to it. Or if they hadn't, they didn't say anything about it.
Macao grabbed the flatbed cart they used to transport bodies. Usually it was outside by the gate because the bodies so far had all come from accidents that happened off base. Lucy guessed Macao got it prepared beforehand, but she didn't ask for confirmation, not thinking it was important.
"I need the stuff to burn the body. I was gonna ask you to go get it, but I sent Wakaba instead. Figured you wouldn't wanna go ask someone for the stuff."
Lucy nodded, knowing she would rather help move a body than talk. She didn't like the way she sounded when she spoke, hearing the fear and weakness in her voice. She felt pathetic every time she opened her mouth. It was a miracle she was able to talk to Natsu so well, and even that was nothing compared to how she used to be. Her dad had made jokes about how she could talk someone's ear off, but now she preferred the silence.
Lucy bit her inner cheek when her father's face came to mind, her bottom lip trembling as she fought off the tears. She had seen his last moments of life, unable to stop them from taking him from her. She still remembered his last words. They banged around her head like a pounding drum, not letting her rest, reminding her that she was unable to save him.
"Lucy. Run. Please, save yourself. Just run. I love you, just—"
Lucy flinched as if it was happening now, the light in her father's eyes going out a second after the bullet traveled through his head. She had to stop walking, grabbing her hood to drag it over her head awkwardly, trying to cover her face so no one could see the tears built up in her eyes.
"Hey, you okay?" Macao asked, causing Lucy to shake her head.
She wasn't okay. Nothing would ever be okay again. She couldn't stop the death of her father, or fix what happened to her mother. She didn't even allow herself to think of Virgo, knowing that would make her snap.
Lucy sucked in a deep breath, shuddering as she forced the memories out of her head. She felt sick to her stomach, hating herself for breathing while they were dead. They would never get to laugh again, never get to smile. Their last moments were filled with nothing but pain, and she couldn't help any of them.
However, there was something much worse she was dealing with, something that made her hate herself even more. It clawed at her stomach, beat at her mind. It was something so vile and disgusting, she didn't even want to admit it to herself.
She was... glad.
She was glad it was them and not her. Some deep, sick part of her celebrated that fact that she was breathing. It wasn't that she wanted her family dead. She just wanted to live, and out of all of them, she was glad it was her who made it and not them.
That realization gave her a new sense of self-loathing, one she couldn't bare to deal with. She locked it up in her mind, refusing to acknowledge it again. She was a monster, but she couldn't change the way she felt, no matter how much she wished she could.
Lucy scrubbed at her face with her sleeve, knowing her skin was bright red when she removed her wrist from her eyes. Her chest heaved as she tried regulating her breathing, forcing her head up before taking a shaky step forward. She couldn't afford to let herself freak out, especially around someone she didn't trust.
"I-I'm f-fine," Lucy lied, wrapping her arms around herself as she caught up to Macao, the man staring at her for a few seconds before shrugging. He turned, resuming his steps down the hall.
Lucy let out a long breath, thankful he wasn't that curious about her. She got along with Natsu for the most part, but sometimes his incessant questions got on her nerves. He would push and push until she was about to break. While she understood he was just curious, it didn't make the pain go away when she recalled the memories she wanted to erase. She didn't want to deal with them, ready to cast them away as soon as she could.
The smile her mother used to have was now tainted by the sight of her biting that poor nurse, blood spurting around her mouth.
The sound of her father's chuckle was marred by the sound of him choking on his own blood, struggling with his last few breaths.
The warmth from Virgo's hugs was now—
Lucy stopped thinking, her eyes wide as she focused on everything around her, refusing to deal with what happened. It was all a fucked up nightmare now. There was nothing she could do to bring them back, and torturing herself with the memories wasn't doing her any favors.
Lucy skidded to a stop when she almost knocked into Macao, too busy with her thoughts to realize he had stopped. She watched as he knocked on a door, a man Lucy didn't recognize answering it seconds later.
"He's in here," the guy said, widening the door for Macao and her to enter. Lucy hesitated before walking in, the two leaving the flatbed outside since it was too wide to fit in the classroom doorway.
Lucy listened to their conversation that followed, gathering information silently. From what she understood, the man was Warcry's roommate who found his body. He stayed long enough to point out the bed Warcry was sleeping in before leaving, telling them he would be back to lock his door later. Lucy's eyes stayed trained on him as he left, waiting until she couldn't hear his footsteps in the hall before looking down at the body.
It wasn't the first time she had seen a dead body. She didn't like how mundane it felt, not as scared of the dead as she should have been. It helped that he wasn't as bad off as some of the other dead bodies had been. Sure, he was sickly pale and had dried blood coming from his nose and the corner of his lip, but he didn't look mangled or beaten up.
Warcry's condition looked like nothing. Lucy had seen too many gruesome bodies, most of them from before she even set foot in Fairy Tail.
Her hands shook when she thought of the piles of bodies in her living room floor, hating how her family's lake house had been turned into a place to slaughter innocent people. Their screams threatened to echo in her head if she didn't tune them out, Lucy blinking rapidly before getting to work, using her physical task as a way to escape her mind.
Macao pulled a tarp from the backpack he wore, Lucy helping him to stretch it out beside the bed. Lucy took Warcry's feet while Macao dealt with the torso, the two rolling the dead body onto the tarp before wrapping him up.
Lucy's muscles strained as she helped carry Warcry out of the room. They placed him on the cart, Macao pulling him towards the door closest to the graveyard once he was secured. It seemed routine enough, Lucy following behind, eyes occasionally flitting to the tarp containing a body.
When they arrived at the graveyard, Macao went to the next available grave. Betty was standing nearby, carving a name in some wood. It would be what they used to identify which grave belonged to who so people could visit and mourn properly.
"Morning Lucy," the older woman called, causing Lucy's throat to tighten.
Lucy lifted a shaky hand, giving a short wave before wrapping her arm around her body again. Betty was nice from what Lucy had seen, so she could afford to give her that much.
"Okay, let's get him in there," Macao said, wheeling the cart next to the grave.
Usually Lucy hated that part, but for Warcry it would be different. The bodies that came from off base were usually covered in infected blood, so they had to be careful when touching the bodies. Normally they would wear gloves while handling them, but since Warcry wasn't infected, it was okay to touch his body and clothing.
Instead of opening the tarp and rolling Warcry into the hole, they carefully lowered his body in, not worrying about getting anything on them.
After Warcry's body was situated, Lucy grabbed the tarp, heading towards the nearest fence. Normally she would pin it to the other side, but since there was no blood touching the tarp, she figured it was fine. When the tarp was covered in blood, they would hang it up on the other side of the fence until it rained, letting the infected blood wash away without them wasting water. They had plenty of tarps around the base, most being used for transporting bodies.
Lucy walked back to the grave, passing it without looking in the hole. She walked towards the end of the row of empty graves to grab a shovel, knowing she would need to help cover the body with dirt after they set it on fire. Though, she didn't know if it was necessary since he wasn't infected, but she wasn't going to say anything.
"I'm gonna go see what's taking Wakaba so long," Macao said, heading back towards the school. "You just hang out here and make sure no one messes with the body."
Lucy nodded, setting the shovel by Warcry's grave before walking away. She didn't want to be near the body if she didn't have to be. She kicked a rock while she waited for Macao to get back, killing time with a menial task. She had her back towards the graves, hearing some movement behind her. She figured it was Betty, deciding not to check it out, focusing instead on the bumpy rock by her feet.
She bent down to pick it up, her body freezing when she heard a bloodcurdling scream behind her. Lucy turned just in time to see Betty falling to the ground, a man standing over her with his arms extended towards the older woman. It took Lucy a few seconds to realize it wasn't a man, Warcry's dead body moving as if he were still alive.
Lucy didn't know what she was supposed to do, not thinking as she took a step forward, her hands shaking and heart picking up its pace. It wasn't until she saw Warcry falling on Betty that Lucy froze, her breath hitching when Betty screamed again.
Lucy saw the blood spray out of Betty's neck when Warcry took a chunk out of her throat, dousing him in the crimson liquid. Lucy's eyes widened, her mind going blank as she stared, wondering if she was imagining it. Warcry wasn't infected, so she didn't understand why he was up and moving like one of those things.
Lucy heard feet pounding on the ground. She looked over just in time to see one of the guards running up, holding up his handgun. He fired a shot towards Warcry, but he missed, causing the zombie to lose interest in his meal. Warcry was fast, but Betty was faster, sprinting towards the guard to take a bite at his arm.
Lucy's couldn't process what she was seeing, too stunned to move an inch. The guard shot Betty in the head, causing the older woman to go limp before hitting the ground, but the same couldn't be said about Warcry. The zombie latched his mouth onto the guard's face, blood dripping down Warcry's clothes and the ground.
More shots fired from the gun, Lucy's hands quickly covering her ears, but it was too late. Her ears rang from the loud noise, her heartbeat speeding up as fear invaded every sense she had. She could feel her pulse pounding in her throat.
The guard started falling to the ground, Warcry still devouring his face without interruption. Lucy watched in horror, her mind now screaming at her to move, but she was frozen in place, barely breathing as the blood spread.
"What the fuck?!"
The words sounded like she was hearing them underwater, her hearing shot for the moment. She looked over to see Macao and Wakaba standing by the school, lighter fluid and a lighter in the latter's hand. The outburst caught Warcry's attention, but that wasn't all. The guard was already rising, his face distorted and bloody, but that didn't stop the new zombie from standing before it ran towards the two men.
Macao and Wakaba dropped their stuff before running back into the school, closing the doors behind them. The guard still chased after them, banging on the door when it couldn't enter, snarling as its fists smeared blood everywhere.
Warcry started running after the guard, stopping when it was almost there. It turned, bloodshot eyes landing on Lucy before it growled, deciding instead to run at her.
Lucy hesitated before turning around, her feet carrying her away from the zombie, but she could feel it gaining on her. She saw the fence, thinking there was a chance she could climb it before the zombie reached her. However, in Lucy's haste, she didn't notice the uneven ground, her foot getting caught on a small hole by the graves.
She fell, pain flooding her when her face made contact with something hard and cold. The air left her lungs when she hit the ground, the woman gasping for breath as she jerked up. Her hand covered her face as her eyes landed on the ground, seeing she hit the shovel laying by the grave. Pain radiated from her nose, making her think it was broken. She didn't think about it long, faintly hearing the zombie approaching.
Lucy turned just in time for the zombie to fall on her, the thing snarling and snapping as its nails tried digging into her, only to be stopped by the two jackets she wore. Her heart pounded against her chest as her hands came up, grabbing the zombie's shoulders, keeping him away from her face.
Lucy's nose bled, covering her mouth and chin before seeping down the sides of her face, staining her cheeks red.
"STOP!" Lucy yelled, but it did nothing, the zombie still trying to take a chunk out of her. She heard more screams around her, but they were all muffled noise, and quite frankly, she couldn't focus on anything else but the snarling zombie above her, her mind desperately trying to figure out how to get her out of the bind she was in.
Lucy thought she heard her name being called, but she pushed it from her mind, too busy putting every ounce of strength into her arms and legs as she thrashed, pushing the zombie off her. She yelled while she did it, eyes narrowed in anger. She didn't go through hell with those monsters just to get eaten by a zombie. Natsu didn't fight like hell to keep her alive just to have her give up like that.
Lucy rose to her knees, gasping for air as she struggled to think. She panicked when she saw Warcry recovering, the zombie growling as he started moving towards her. Lucy fumbled back, her hand landing on something hard. She realized what it was without looking, her fingers curling around the wood.
She twisted, both hands gripping the handle of the shovel. Lucy put as much force behind her action as she turned, striking Warcry in the face. The shovel bit through his cheek, much worse than the cut she gave Natsu.
The zombie stumbled for a moment, his balance thrown off by the hit. However, he was moving again in no time, not looking fazed by what was happening. Lucy grit her teeth, unsure if she would be able to take the creature down.
She felt her strength dwindling, her body not used to fighting. Lucy went to swing at the zombie again, only to tense when she heard a voice ring clear in her ears, a man yelling at the top of his lungs.
"GET BACK!"
Lucy turned towards the voice, eyes widening when she saw Gray running, swinging his ax back before thrusting it forward. She flinched back, watching in shock as the sharp edge made contact with Warcry's chest, the zombie being flung to the side by the momentum.
She shielded her face with her arm when dirt came flying up, Gray running past her to get to the zombie. More people flooded the area, some attacking the zombie while others surrounded Lucy.
She didn't notice, her eyes flitting to Gray, seeing him hack away at Warcry's neck, severing his head from his body. For the briefest second, Lucy thought she was safe, but that thought vanished as soon as she looked up, seeing someone pointing the muzzle of their rifle at her.
Lucy tried getting away, only to fall back when she heard someone yell at her. "STAY THE FUCK DOWN!"
She realized she was hyperventilating, but no matter how much air she sucked in, it didn't feel like enough. Her heart threatened to burst from how hard it hammered, fear and panic swirling in her chest, making her body freeze until she finally heard it, Natsu's voice cutting through the mass confusion.
Lucy looked over, searching for someone to help her. Her eyes landed on Natsu, seeing two people holding him back as he screamed, struggling to get out of their grasps.
"She might be infected!" one of the people shouted while the other screamed, "You can't go over there!"
Lucy watched as Natsu yelled at them, his voice full of rage as he struck one of the men with his fist. "Let me go you bastard!"
Lucy's head snapped to the side when she heard the gunshot echo through the base, her ears ringing as she saw the guard who was now a zombie fall to the ground, some blood spraying from the new hole in the back of his head. Lucy shook as the man who shot him started heading her way, his eyes narrowed at her as he lifted his rifle.
All the sounds rushed her in an instant when the man aimed his rifle at her, Lucy's stomach dropping as she saw his finger touching the trigger. She thought her whole life would flash before her eyes, but it didn't. All she saw was the look of disdain on the man's face as he said something to her, but in her panic she couldn't make out the words, only hearing Natsu's voice behind her, screaming as if his life depended on it.
"DON'T YOU DARE HURT HER!"
"She might be infected!" one of the guards shouted back, but she didn't hear, too busy focusing on the finger itching to pull that trigger. A memory she tried locking away earlier thrust itself to the front of her mind, watching as the monster shot her father in cold blood, his sick laughter echoing in her head as she watched her father die.
Lucy covered her face with an arm as she burst into tears, unable to hold them back. Her shoulders shook as she sobbed, wishing she could turn her mind off, but she couldn't. She remembered it all, the screams coming from Virgo, the rotting smell of flesh that came from her father when they refused to deal with the body, the searing pain that came every time that monster dragged his knife against her skin.
Lucy fell forward, not bothering to stop herself as she hit the ground. If they were going to kill her she hoped they did it soon, if only to end the suffering her mind was putting her through. Maybe then she could finally feel free, unchained from the memories that wanted to hurt her, much like the cruel hands of her captors.
Lucy heard screaming, but she couldn't distinguish between what was in her head and what was happening in real life. She waited for the man to shoot, her heart pounding in her throat and her blood roaring in her ears. Her eyes snapped open when she felt someone grab her wrist, jerking her up to her feet as if she were a rag doll.
"Put that weapon down! What the fuck are you trying to do!"
Lucy couldn't remember if she had heard that voice before, her eyes flitting towards her wrist, seeing a large hand holding her. She followed up the arm, seeing someone she had only seen from a distance before. He looked like a brute of a man, a lighting bolt scar running down his right eye and a jaw as strained as the tension in the air.
"She might be infected!" the trigger-happy man said, not bothering to lower his rifle. If anything, he moved it to follow Lucy, refusing to give up his target.
"And what?" the man holding her asked, nearly growling as he jostled her around with ease. "You were gonna kill her without any proof?!"
"She's covered in blood!"
The man with the facial scar set his eyes on Lucy, causing her to flinch in his grasp. She slammed her eyes shut, too terrified to look at him or anyone else. She could hear multiple voices around her, but she tuned them out, hoping whatever nightmare was happening would end soon. The only thing she was thankful for was the interruption in her head, the horrid memories no longer plaguing her.
"That could be her blood for all we know."
"But Laxus, she—"
"Shut up!" The grip on her wrist tightened until she whimpered, her body shivering as cold air rushed past her, the blood on her face and hands making her skin cooler. Her nose throbbed in pain, as well as her entire body from the struggle with Warcry.
Laxus, at least she assumed that was his name, loosened his grip before jerking her hand behind her back, grabbing the other in the process before something cold bit at her wrists, trapping her hands in place.
"There! Now she's not a threat! So calm the fuck down!"
Lucy tugged at the restraints, realizing she had been handcuffed. It reminded her of the time she was in college and had too much to drink with her friends, resulting in her and the others getting arrested for public intoxication. She didn't remember much from that night, but she definitely remembered the cuffs around her wrist, as well as the scolding her father gave her when he got her out of lock up, threatening to pull her tuition money if she screwed up like that again.
Lucy blinked, wondering why she was remembering something so trivial at a time like that. Her tears came faster, her heart hurting as she thought of her family, of her life before everything got so fucked up. Sure, it wasn't perfect, but it was good.
She missed that life, with every fiber of her being.
'It's gone,' Lucy reminded herself, zoning out as the men around her argued with one another over what to do with her. 'That life is gone, and it's never coming back.' She would never get to see her family's smiling faces again. Hell, at that point she would settle for a disappointed glare from her father, as long as he and everyone else she cared about was alive.
Living without her family felt like a punishment worse than death, but she was too much of a coward to take her own life, part of her desperately wanting to continue living, even if she was in constant pain and fear.
Lucy snapped back to reality when she was being turned around, now facing the school. She couldn't see who was behind her, but she knew it wasn't the man from before, spotting Laxus walking away towards the zombie who used to be a guard.
Lucy struggled immediately, not liking what was happening to her. Her efforts got her nowhere, only causing the person behind her to push her forward, earning a shout from Laxus when he glanced over his shoulder.
"I better not hear that you hurt her. Just bring her to processing. Think you can handle that?"
"Yeah yeah," a man Lucy didn't recognize said, his identity hidden from her. He kept a tight grip on her arm as he escorted her around the school, not deterring from his course no matter how much Lucy tried to get away.
She thought she heard Natsu screaming in the background, but his voice was lost to her, her mind flooding with dark thoughts about what was going to happen to her. Her body shook, her eyes staying wide as she was led to the arena, the guard not being gentle with her as he pushed her into the building.
People stared, but they didn't intervene, letting the guard handle her with force as he brought her to the locker room. Lucy only realized there were more than one man when they entered the women's room. Her handcuffs were removed before she was pushed towards the showers, her body whirling around to get a look at the guard she was with, only to realize there were two other men with him.
"That blood on your face," one of them said, stepping towards her. She flinched, but he didn't seem to care. "Is that yours or from the zombie?"
Lucy shook her head, her throat locking up as she tried speaking, but her voice was small and weak, fear coloring her tone. "I-I-I th-think... m-me?"
The man didn't respond to her answer, only pointing to the camping showers hanging up on the wall, his tone leaving no room for discussion as he said, "Strip down and wash that blood off. We need to see if you were bit."
Lucy jolted back before shaking her head, refusing to get naked in front of them. It was bad enough when she had to get processed. Mortification flooded her when the guard stepped closer, lifting his rifle to her.
The other two men raised their firearms as well, all pointed at her body and head. "That wasn't a question!" he shouted, not caring that she flinched. "Get undressed now or we won't hesitate to put you down!"
Lucy clenched her teeth as she raised her hands, knowing it wouldn't be enough to stop a bullet, but she didn't know what else to do. She didn't want to take off her clothes, fearing what they would do when they saw her naked. She hadn't felt comfortable in her own skin since the night of the party, and since then things had only gotten worse.
Every time she was naked in front of people since then, it was to be abused in some way or another. The only exceptions were the two times she had been processed by Yukino, but even that had been hard on Lucy.
"Pl-please," she whispered, but her meek voice fell on deaf ears. "Yuk-kino?"
"DO IT NOW!" one of them shouted, turning his shotgun so the end was facing her before marching towards her, lifting it up.
"STOP!" Lucy yelled, terrified that he was going to hit her. However, she would prefer that over what he threatened next.
"Strip or I'll do it for you! This isn't a fucking game!"
Lucy backed away, feeling like a caged animal. She couldn't run, the only exit guarded by the men who were screaming at her. She didn't want to take off her clothes, but she also didn't want to get hurt, or worse, have them strip her. She parted her lips, voice strained as she let out a sob, her hands shaky as she reached for the zipper on her outer jacket. "F-f-fine."
Her heart fell as she unzipped the second jacket, feeling the blood soaking through her clothes. She didn't know whose blood it was, her stomach churning as she shrugged the jackets off.
The degrading act reminded her of when she was back there, being told what to do and when to do it. If she refused, she got beat and sliced. If she obeyed, she only got cut and earned herself a meal, even if most of the time the 'food' they offered her made her throw up.
Her chest heaved as she lifted the hem of her shirt, eyes squeezed shut so she couldn't see their reactions. That didn't stop them from gasping, probably disgusted by the large scar running down her torso. The mark burned as she recalled the many times a knife was dragged against her skin, reopening the wound so it would never heal all the way.
The cut was to discourage her from struggling against the chains they wrapped around her stomach when she was left alone, pain flooding her every time she would move. They only allowed her cut to heal when she stopped fighting against the restraints, but that didn't stop her from trying to hurt her attackers when the chain was off, even if it never seemed to help.
Lucy bit her inner cheek as she pulled down her sweatpants, shorts, and panties, humiliated by her own body. She hated the way she looked now, every scar a reminder of the hell they put her through. She wished she could've driven that knife through every one of their hearts, but she would have to settle for the small victory she got when she stabbed one of them in the gut. She lied when she told Natsu she had never killed a person before. The truth was she didn't know if he bled out or survived.
After what he put her and Virgo through, Lucy hoped he was rotting in hell.
When Lucy was naked, she wrapped her arm over her chest while covering the apex of her thighs with a hand. The guard's words brought her no comfort, his voice making her flinch as he spoke.
"We're not interested in a peep show. We just need to make sure you weren't bit." He stepped forward, causing Lucy's eyes to shoot open. She moved away, watching as he turned on the nozzle to one of the camping showers, retreating to the other guards a moment later. "Wash up so we can get this over with."
Lucy turned towards the shower, feeling too exposed as she stepped into the cold water. It bit at her skin when it touched her. She closed her eyes, hoping that would stop the overwhelming hatred she had for herself, wishing she could disappear and start over. She didn't want to be Lucy anymore, feeling ruined and vile.
She wondered if they were looking at her like her captors did, wanting to push her buttons and see how far they could bend her before she broke. Lucy moved her face into the stream of water, wondering how much more she could take before she just gave up completely. 'Maybe I should've let that zombie bite me. Then it would all be over.'
Lucy's nails almost dug into her skin, but she stopped herself. If she hadn't been infected yet, that would surely do the trick. She didn't know whose blood was on her hands, but she didn't want to risk it, giving her a realization she wasn't ready to face.
'I still want to live. Why? Why the hell do I still want to live?'
She had no one left to call her family, no real reason to cling to life. The only good things she had in her life were Happy and Natsu, but even they didn't seem like enough to keep fighting.
Lucy's heart fell when she thought about how disappointed Natsu would be with her if she truly gave up. All his hard work would have been for nothing. She knew that was the only reason he was still helping her. He made a promise to help, and she feared he regretted it as soon as he made it. 'I'm a burden on everyone.'
Despite knowing everyone would be better off if she were gone, Lucy couldn't bring herself to want to die, not really. Deep down, she wanted to live, even if her life was shit now. She couldn't override that basic survival instinct, the one that would do whatever it took to keep going.
For once, Lucy was thankful to be stuck in her head. It helped take her mind off the fact that three men were staring at her naked, scarred body. It didn't last long, her fear tripling when she heard them speaking again. Even if they weren't talking directly to her, their voices reminded her that they were close, able to overpower her if they chose to do so.
Lucy jumped when she heard a loud noise from where they stood, thinking they were about to attack her. However, they had their backs turned to her, looking for the source of the sound too.
"What the hell is this?!"
Lucy blinked the water out of her eyes, hazy vision landing on the figure by the open door. Her breath hitched, recognizing the woman standing there. Lucy had never seen Yukino more furious, her teeth clenched and eyes narrowed as she pointed towards the door, her voice harsh as she screamed at the men.
"Stop being assholes and get out!"
"We're just doing our jobs," one of the guards said in defense, but Yukino was having none of it.
"And I'm doing mine!" She was seething, her body shaking in anger. "Get out now!"
"But—"
"GET OUT!"
"Okay, okay!" Two of the guards raised their hands in a mock surrender while the third huffed.
For a moment, Lucy thought the last one would try to stay, but he followed the others out of the locker room, leaving her alone with Yukino when the door closed behind them. Lucy flinched when Yukino locked the door, but that fear faded when the woman turned to her, eyes watering as she came closer.
"I'm so sorry I wasn't here to stop them. I had no idea. I swear!"
The conviction in Yukino's voice made Lucy want to believe her. She slowly nodded, accepting what Yukino said as the truth. Out of everyone at Fairy Tail, Yukino was the fourth human Lucy trusted the most, Natsu being the first while Wendy was the second. Grandeeney was a close third, while Levy was fifth.
From there, Lucy didn't really trust anyone, too afraid to allow anything like that with the others. Yukino had seen Lucy's body naked twice now and had never done anything to hurt her, offering her soft-spoken stories while Lucy was processed the second time in an effort to get her relaxed. Not only that, Yukino allowed Lucy to shower by herself despite everyone else having to shower regardless of whoever was around. Those things combined earned her that fourth spot.
Out of every living creature Lucy knew, Happy had the most trust, but that was because she knew Happy wouldn't hurt her. The worst he would do was scratch or bite her, but as long as she didn't give him a reason to do so, the cat was friendly with her.
Yukino's voice broke Lucy out of her thoughts, causing her to blink rapidly as she took in her words. "I know this is the stupidest question I could ask, but... are you okay?"
Lucy hesitated before shaking her head. She wasn't okay, fear and humiliation clawing away at her, making her feel like she was less than a human.
Pity flashed in Yukino's eyes, but that only made Lucy feel worse. She was tired of people feeling sorry for her. She wanted to be strong and confident, but she felt weak and pathetic. The looks she received didn't help with her self-esteem, further lowering her opinion of herself.
"I'm sorry," Yukino whispered, confliction crossing her face as she looked over her shoulder at the door. When she turned back, she sighed. "I really want you to relax, but I'm going to have to ask you to keep washing off. I... I need to check you for bites or scratches."
Lucy looked down when Yukino's hand moved, eyes widening when she saw the knife holder strapped around her hips, the handle of a knife sticking out of it. Lucy shook, phantom pain dancing across her skin when she remembered her captors cutting her, but she pushed that thought far from her brain, reminding herself that Yukino had never harmed her before.
Yukino saw Lucy's eyes flitting to her hip, her own eyes rounding before she took a step back. "I won't hurt you," she promised, keeping her voice firm. "This is just in case you turn. I honestly don't think you will, but they wouldn't let me in unless I had a weapon."
Lucy refrained from asking who 'they' were, taking her word for it. She gave a single nod before turning back to the water, thankful when Yukino kept her eyes to the side, giving her the smallest amount of privacy as she washed the blood off her.
Lucy's body was clean for the most part. The blood was mainly on her hands, face, and neck. Lucy rinsed herself until the water ran clear, stepping away from the water after she turned the camping shower off. She hesitated before holding her arms out, eyes squeezed shut so she wouldn't see Yukino's eyes lingering on her horrid scars. She didn't want to see anymore pity. She just wanted to get the whole thing over with.
"I don't see any bites," Yukino said, the sound of her walking around ringing in Lucy's ears. "Or scratches."
Lucy held still, even when her mind screamed for her to cover herself, shame flooding her senses, causing her heart to sink and her stomach to twist. She released her shaky breath when Yukino finally said, "You're clear... Let me get you some clothes."
She left the room for a moment, returning with a towel and a bundle of clothes. She set them in the corner of the room, turning her back before saying, "Get changed as soon as you can."
Lucy didn't hesitate to rush to the towel, wrapping it around herself to get a sense of protection and warmth. She didn't let the feeling last long, quickly drying herself so she could put the new clothes on, happy when the 'small' clothes felt too snug on her. It meant she was getting bigger, healthier.
Lucy hoped she could return to her weight from before the outbreak soon, but she knew it might not happen. With the amount of food she got a day, combined with the physical labor she did, she wasn't gaining much. The weight gainers had given her a tremendous boost, but they were gone now. However, considering her latest predicament, her weight wasn't high on her priorities now. She was more worried about the situation she was in currently.
The longer Lucy was away from those screaming men or the dangers that came with facing a zombie, the more safe and secure she felt. It wasn't as good as she felt when she was alone in the room she shared with Natsu, but it was better than before.
When Lucy was done getting dressed, Yukino walked up to her, slowly reaching out towards Lucy's face. She flinched, terrified for a moment until Yukino whispered that she wasn't going to hurt her, just wanting to inspect Lucy's nose.
"I-is it br-broken?" Lucy asked, wincing when Yukino tapped the tip of her nose.
"Maybe?" Yukino said, running her thumb up the bridge. "It doesn't look broken. It's probably just sore. There's already a bruise forming here. What happened?"
"I f-fell."
Yukino nodded, dropping her hands. She opened her mouth, jumping with Lucy when they heard a heavy knock on the door.
"Yukino! Is she decent?"
Lucy recognized the voice from before, but in case she was mistaken, Yukino confirmed her thoughts. "That's Laxus," she said, making her way to the door to unlock it. "Yes, she is. Give me a second."
Once the door was opened, Laxus stepped in, a pair of clean handcuffs in his hands. His eyes found Lucy, sighing as he walked towards her. "Don't make this harder than it has to be. I'm gonna put these back on ya, but only for everyone's safety. No one's gonna hurt you."
Lucy wasn't convinced, tensing more with every step he took. She clutched her arms around her waist, refusing to give him her hands when he asked again. Her refusal seemed to anger him, his eyes narrowing as he looked down on her. She expected something bad to happen, but instead of losing his temper, Laxus merely held the handcuffs out.
"Do you wanna put 'em on?"
Lucy blinked, not understanding why he was giving her a choice. Her body shook as she contemplated her next move, not seeing many options. She parted her lips, throat raw as she mumbled under her breath. "Wh-what's going t-to... going to happen t-to m-me?"
Laxus raised a brow at her stutter, but didn't comment on it. She hadn't spoken to him before, so she guessed he wasn't aware of her difficulties when it came to speaking.
"I'm taking you to a room to be quarantined. You'll stay there until we figure out what to do to you."
Lucy's eyes widened, automatically thinking the worst. Laxus must have realized what she thought, shaking his head as he said, "We're not gonna kill ya unless you turn. We just need to be safe so no one else dies. You don't look infected, but neither did Warcry."
Laxus' brows pinched together in concentration. "Well, now looking back on it, it was kinda obvious something was up with him, but who the fuck gets infected by a dog?" He shook his head as he moved the handcuffs closer to her. "That's not important right now. What's important is getting you quarantined as soon as possible."
Lucy didn't like what she was hearing, but she didn't know what else to do. He sounded genuine when he said he wasn't going to kill her unless she turned, which if she did become a zombie, she doubted she would care at that point. The few zombies she encountered showed no signs of cognitive thought, as far as she could tell. If she was unlucky and turned, she just hoped it wasn't painful. She didn't want to die, but if she did, she wanted to go out with as least pain as possible.
She had more than her fair share of hurt in her lifetime, and she was only twenty years old.
Lucy took a shaky breath before loosening her arms around her body. She held her hands out, keeping her wrists close together.
"I need 'em behind your back," Laxus explained, bringing the cuffs closer to him. "That way if ya turn while I'm moving you, you can't scratch anyone."
Lucy nodded slowly before turning, her heart pounding so hard she was sure he could hear it. Despite preparing herself for it, Lucy still flinched when Laxus put the cuffs on her, feeling like a prisoner all over again.
"Follow me," he said, heading towards the exit.
"Good luck," Yukino whispered as she passed her, but her words brought her no comfort.
Lucy didn't think she was infected. Sure, her nose throbbed and her muscles were sore, but other than that she felt fine. Well, her heart and throat hurt, but she knew that was due to her anxiety and her crying earlier. Everything she felt had a logical reason behind it, so she didn't think she was infected.
Then again, she had no idea what it would feel like. Every person she saw get bit turned almost immediately, so she didn't know if they even felt anything but the pain from the bite before dying and coming back as one of those creatures.
Lucy kept her head down when she left the locker room, feeling eyes all over her. Humiliation washed over her as she walked to the back of the arena, Laxus using an exit she didn't know about.
He brought her to the school's annex, not uttering a single word on the way there. She didn't mind the silence, welcoming it as she tried calming her heart and mind. She was on the verge of a full panic attack, summoning every bit of courage she had to stay strong.
Laxus stopped in front of a door at the end of a hall, an armed guard standing to the side. "He's gonna watch the door and make sure you don't escape. He's also here to keep other people out since we don't wanna risk anyone else possibly getting infected."
Laxus opened the door, gesturing for her to go in. Lucy hesitated, her mind screaming at her to run away, but she ignored it. She knew they valued their safety over her life. If she ran, the chances of them shooting her were high. Running for it wasn't worth the risk.
Sucking in a deep breath, Lucy pushed herself forward, entering the classroom. There was a single bed and blanket in the room, all the desks and chairs removed. Boards covered the bottom halves of the windows, preventing her from unlocking and opening them. She wanted to ask if she was in their own version of a prison, but instead of that, a different question escaped her trembling lips.
"H-how... how long?"
"Turn around," Laxus said, holding up the keys to the handcuff.
She didn't feel safe turning her back on him when Yukino wasn't there, but she wanted the handcuffs off. She risked trusting him for those brief seconds, her pulse accelerating as she felt Laxus moving her wrists, unlocking the cuffs one at a time. "You'll be in here until we know you're not infected."
When he pulled away, Lucy turned, putting a few feet between them. A question caught in her throat, refusing to come out. She wanted to ask if she could see Natsu, needing a familiar face around. She doubted he would know what to say to make her feel better, but she didn't need him to talk. She just wanted some form of comfort, and he was the first person to pop into her head when she thought of safety.
Out of everyone at Fairy Tail, Natsu had fought the hardest to keep her safe, even from herself. She wanted him there, but she knew she was a danger to him in her current state. She didn't think she was infected, but at the same time, she didn't know for sure. Lucy took a few shuddering breaths, watching as Laxus retreated.
"I promise we're not tryin' to scare you, but we can't take any chances," he said, stopping at the door before looking back at her. "We need to know you're not infected. Someone'll be by later tonight to bring you your food. Just be good while we wait. It's not that bad. I'm gonna send Yukino up here in an hour or so to let you use the bathroom. She'll be making visits throughout the day to help you out if you need it."
Laxus sighed, grabbing the door's handle. "Like I said, just be good and this'll go by quickly." He left without saying another word, the sound of the door locking following him a moment later.
Lucy was alone again, her mind blanking for a minute as she looked around, not knowing what to do with herself. She went to the bed, slowly lifting the blanket before sitting on the mattress. It was cold, but it was better than the floor.
Lucy wrapped the blanket around her body, the first of many tears gathering in her eyes as she thought about how empty she felt inside. She was a prisoner again. Despite the situation being different, Lucy couldn't stop the memories from surfacing, remembering vividly what it felt like to be chained up.
Helpless.
Defenseless.
And utterly alone.
Just like her freshly fallen tears, her dark memories didn't seem to end.
.
.
.
So, what'd you think of the chapter? Anyone like revisiting Lucy's pov? Did you like the clues about what happened to her before Natsu found her? Anyone piecing the puzzle together? Who was happy Lucy got a hit at the zombie? Anyone disappointed it was Gray who saved her instead of Natsu? Lucy barely had time to process what happened, everyone else jerking her around after the attack. Next chapter is completely in Natsu's pov. We get to see how pissed he is with what's going on. We're getting close to the first nalu moment. Just a few more chapters. :P
Up next, Chapter Twenty-Three: The jury is out
Thank you so much for your amazing support! This story reached 1000 reviews after the last chapter! That's so freakin' awesome! Thank you! I appreciate every favorite, follow, and review! Special shout out to the many incredible people who reviewed last time: Lodemai04, MnMAllyn, MotherOfDragons1227, Kakashi500, Winterfairy189, Lucia Merinero, TheCrimsonPhoenix10045, HexManiacOlivia, TheUniqueFangirl, Emoelmo41212(x2), naluloverr, Guest, Guest, Anime-Dark-Sunflower, Mara fray, Screeney, Guest, lazygirlabc, Lky, Ashnmarley, LoveroftheWord, MidnightFox890, aracelibojorquez2, Kitty9453, caslspirit15, llendais, GothBanshee, ElementalMiko12, ThayetJade, nikkiw67, sky0fincandescence, Sam, FlameDragonHime, booksandanime17, HollyNinetales, imagine42, CathJorda, elizabethbclifford11, PrincessSarahDragneel, Satyrykal, Dragonblade Master, nana, HungryPeanut, ManderNaner, Jellal Frenandes, Terra of Life, Gabbicat18(x2), n. kukurichan, sonikastalker, chimushea, AtomicAdri, samurai of sunflowers, cOokIe-MOnzTa, stranger1999, Firefly9917, MorriganFae, Duchixx, SingStar234, BNAL, StellaHeartfilia, MeteorWars, ArtemisRavenTerraFan, AlycePixi, MileHigh94, lili3346, Valythe, Ninja2700, Dragonelle1, randommess1, Gigi-San28, Anon, Karsyn1p2, CodenameMise, Tohka123, ramennoodles-O. o, Mizz Myztery, Akuma, Guest, celestialmagex7, WriterzBlock12, Deboo, Linkin-Phoenix, An Amber Pen, Nightside14(x2), NutEllaChocolate, TroppoFavolosoPerVoi, Morenoel, Guest and Guest! Seriously, you all blew me away!