What Erza wanted to talk to Gray about along with Natsu, Lucy, and Juvia was a new case that she had been called about.
"There have been mysterious attacks at the local casino and rumors say that it's the work of nosferatu." Erza said reading the file. "I need the four of you to investigate."
"What's the plan boss lady?" Gray asked.
"Gray, you and Juvia will cover the outside area. Natsu, you and Lucy will infiltrate it from the inside. If these attacks are indeed the cause of vampires then try to exterminate them without causing any damage."
"We can't make any promises." Natsu said. "But we'll try not to."
"Fair enough. Now then I have the car already waiting. Lucy keep your bracelet on your wrist at all times. Don't take it off once. Understand?"
"Yes." The blonde said.
"Natsu, Gray, make sure nothing happens to Lucy or Juvia."
"Yes ma'am." They both said.
Upon arriving at the casino Gray and Juvia immediately started scouting the outside area of the whole place. While on the inside Natsu and Lucy were checking for any suspicious looking guests.
"I don't see anyone who looks like a vampire." Lucy said.
"That's the idea Lucy." Natsu said. "Vampires and devils are probably the hardest creatures you can catch because they can make themselves look perfectly human and by the time you figure out what they really are it's usually too late. You're only chance of survival is to look for their quirks."
"Quirks?"
"You know things that only a vampire or devil would do or be like. For example in a vampire's case, you have to notice if someone is only seen at night? Do they avoid going near anything that casts a reflection? Do they get all intense and hungry like whenever someone cuts their self and starts bleeding? Do they never eat Italian food? Stuff like that."
"Those aren't exactly- Wait never eat Italian food?"
"You know how the Italians like their garlic. They put it on everything they make. It's like their favorite spice."
"Huh...As I was saying those aren't exactly obvious quirks."
"You think I don't know that? I've been doing this job for eleven years."
"Does it ever get easier?"
"No. Especially when you have someone like Erza for a boss. She's been hard on us ever since she was a kid. You'd never think that a little girl could be so domineering."
"Huh."
"What?"
"Nothing it's just that...Well I find it very interesting."
"What's interesting?"
"You and Gray are supposed to be older than Erza but you both look so much younger than she is. How old are you two anyway?"
"We're both 496 years old."
Lucy's eyes went wide.
"Dear God you two are old! But you...Neither one of you look it."
"What can I say? Being a supernatural species does wonders for the skin. Once Gray and I both went from human to vampire and devil we stopped aging physically."
"How old were you two when it happened?"
"We were both in our early twenties."
"So that means the two of you will be physically twenty something forever?"
"Pretty much. But believe me it's not a consolation for what we are." He said. "It would be blessing if we could age like we used to."
"So if you don't age physically anymore does that mean neither one of you can die?"
"Not of old age or anything that can typically end a human's life but we can be killed. Anything that walks on this earth can be killed. Gray and I are no exception however he's harder to kill than I am."
"Why is he harder to kill?"
"For one thing only a select few of people know how to really kill a devil. With vampires you always know how to kill us. Stake through the heart, decapitation and burning of the body, holy water spray, garlic poisoning, ect. But devils they each have their own way of being destroyed and even if you manage to get rid of one there's still more out there. They're like weeds."
"Weeds?"
"Yep. Cut one up and another just grows back."
"I don't follow."
"Devils have existed long before vampires have. In fact they were the first truly evil beings to ever roam the earth and they're responsible for almost all the evil in the world. Trying to destroy them all is like trying to destroy evil itself. Damn impossible. But we still keep trying to do it."
"But Gray's not evil...Is he?"
"No. A pain in the ass and a traitor but not evil."
"Traitor? Oh...Erza told me what he did to you in regards to my grandfather. Why did he to do it?"
"I don't know for sure. But apparently in his mind I betrayed him first."
"Did you?"
"Of course not! I'm nothing if not loyal!"
"Is it possible that you might have betrayed him without even knowing it?"
"That doesn't make any sense. How do you betray someone without even knowing you're doing it?"
"Believe it or not that happens very often. In cases like that it's usually a big misunderstanding."
"Look I really don't want to talk about this right. We have a job to do and if we fail Erza will never let me hear the end of it. Now start looking for anything strange."
"Like you?"
"Ha-ha. Very funny."
They looked around the area for anyone who seemed to be acting out of the ordinary. Everyone at the casino appeared to be perfectly normal but Natsu knew all too well that wasn't the case. Deep in his gut he knew that a vampire was present here, he just wasn't looking hard enough. Lucy looked hard and at first she saw nothing strange but after awhile she spotted an ominous looking man heading down a hallway.
"Hey Natsu what about him?" She asked pointing to the man. "Do you think he might be what we're looking for?"
"Maybe..." He said thinking for a moment. "Let's follow him but keep quiet and out of sight."
They did exactly that. They followed the ominous looking man but were perfectly quiet and kept out of sight. He went outside on to a balcony which had only one door but when they got out there he was gone.
"Where did he go?" Lucy wondered.
"Isn't it obvious?" Natsu asked.
"No." She moved over to the edge of the balcony where he stood.
"And you're supposed to be a vampire hunter?" He said rolling his eyes. "News flash Lucy vampires can- Dah!"
At the moment she was bending over the edge to see if the man was on the ground at the moment, unaware that she was giving Natsu an up close view of her shapely legs and her behind. Now Natsu may have been a vampire but he was also still a man and like most men he couldn't help but stare at certain parts of an attractive woman especially when it was this close and when it had been so long since he had touched a woman in that way. He desperately tried to get his thoughts to focus on the mission again but it was very difficult to do.
"I'm sorry, what were you saying Natsu?" Lucy asked turning her head to face him however he didn't answer. He just stood there staring with blush on his cheeks. Lucy never thought that a vampire could blush. "What? What are you looking at?"
But in no time at all she realized the source of his gaze.
"Oh! You pervert!" She said standing upright while blushing as well.
"It's not my fault! It was an accident! I swear!" He said trying to shake his thoughts.
"But you kept staring!"
"My brain went numb! We're getting off subject! Anyway to answer your question about where that man went he like all vampires have to ability to change into a bat and fly off."
"Oh right. I forgot about that. That means you can change into a bat too?"
"Uh...Yes." Natsu said rubbing the back of his neck nervously. "But believe me you wouldn't like me as a bat?"
"What do you mean?"
"Let's just say I'm a really scary when I'm a bat."
"What's so scary about a bat? They're just mice with wings."
"I'm no ordinary vampire Lucy therefore I don't change into an ordinary bat."
"I don't understand."
"It's hard to explain and I really don't have the time to do it with you right now. We have to move." He grabbed Lucy by the arm and pulled her to his side.
"Natsu what are you doing?" She asked.
"Hold on tight."
"Why?"
"We're going to have to jump."
"Jump?!" She cried. "Are you aware that this is a three foot building right?"
"Calm down. I've done this a hundred times."
"Can't we just take the stairs?"
"No good. By the time we get downstairs and through that crowd a gamblers the creep we're looking for will be long gone. Now whatever you do don't let go of me until we're on the ground."
"Wait! I really don't think-"
But she was cut off when he jumped from the balcony, taking Lucy with him. She screamed and clung to him tightly, scared that this crazy vampire was going to kill them both but to her relief they both landed on their feet.
"There." He said releasing her. "Now that wasn't so bad was it?"
"You're crazy!" She said trying to stop herself from shaking. "How does Erza deal with you everyday?"
"Simple. She's just as crazy as I am. I mean think about it she unleashed a vampire and a devil when she was just a child. If that doesn't raise some red flags I don't know what will. Now let's move!"