Lucy was exhausted and covered in sweat, her breaths coming out rough. She has yet to have one successful attempt at the fusion power that Loke wanted to try. They knew it was possible, but Lucy wasn't quite there on strength yet. She gave herself the goal of getting it within the next month. She needed to focus more on her meditation training with Capricorn and the ability to expand her magic containers.
"Let's call it a day," Loke said, standing straight. "You did a good job," he commented. Lucy grabbed her water bottle, chugging it to the last drop.
"I didn't even have one successful attempt," she breathed out. Loke wrapped an arm around her neck, giving the celestial a gentle shake.
"That may be, but we know you have the ability to do it. We need to tweak a few areas, and you should be able to do it with no problem. I wasn't expecting a knockout star dress transformation today. I was looking for the possibility," Loke explained. Lucy took his word for it, feeling better about it than she was.
"What happens when I do succeed?" Lucy asked, wiping her face with the back of her hand as they walked towards Laxus.
"We will figure that out once we get that far," Loke informed. Lucy rolled her eyes as they approached Laxus, standing with his arms crossed and his coat sitting across his shoulders.
"You hungry?" Laxus asked as they walked up. Lucy nodded enthusiastically.
"You bet I am," Lucy smiled. "What did you have in mind? I've only been really eating at the little café I'm typically at." Loke did a two-finger salute, taking that as his cue to leave and disappearing back to the spirit realm. Lucy got into step with Laxus as he led the way.
"How about that artisan sandwich shop? Freed ate there once and raved about how good it was," Laxus mentioned.
"Sure, I'll give it a go. Sandwiches aren't usually my go-to, but they do sound pretty good right now," Lucy commented. Laxus glanced at the blonde.
"We can go somewhere else if you don't want them," Laxus offered. "I only mentioned it because that was the only place that came to mind first."
Lucy shook her head. "It's okay, really. I watch what I eat. A woman needs to watch her figure, you know," She explained with a wink. She knew she was being flirtatious but that was just in her nature.
Laxus arched a brow. "You're on a diet?" He asked curiously. He never pegged Lucy to be on a diet.
Lucy puffed her cheeks out and crossed her arms. "I'm not on a diet per se, but I watch what I eat and try to eat healthily." She uncrossed her arms and wagged a finger at the dragon slayer. "If I have to say, I look pretty damn good." She motioned to herself.
Laxus shook her head. She was right, and he did think she was pretty damn attractive. She had pretty doe eyes, long blonde hair, breasts that any man would dream of to motorboat, a juicy ass, and lean legs. Laxus shook his head to rid any more thoughts or images before he got himself into trouble. That wasn't what he needed to think about anyway, and he was a bodyguard, her bodyguard specifically. His job was to protect her, not fantasize about the celestial mage.
"Right," Laxus finally answered quietly. Lucy stopped giving him a bewildered look.
"Are you…okay?" She asked with a tilt of her head. Laxus stopped when he realized Lucy had stopped.
"Yeah?" He asked questionably. "Why wouldn't I be?" Lucy tapped her chin but ended up just shrugging in response as she walked to catch back up to him.
"No reason, I guess. You just seemed lost in thought," Lucy mentioned keeping her eyes forward. Laxus swallowed the lump in his throat, hoping she didn't see.
"I have a lot on my mind," Laxus said. Lucy nodded, agreeing. Don't they all have a lot on their mind? She knew it was silly to ask, but she was only concerned because he had quite a distraught look. "The sandwich shop is just up ahead." Lucy shook her head, clearing her thoughts as she focused on the path before her.
They took turns ordering their sandwich to their liking as they chose a booth to sit in. Lucy stared at her sandwich before cautiously picking it up and taking a giant bite. A moan of delight left her as she chewed.
"This-this is good," she said between chews, swallowing, then taking another bite. Laxus took a bite of his and then shoved a chip in afterward. "Freed wasn't joking." She was never much of a sandwich person, but the sandwich she currently held in her hands may have changed her mind completely.
"I didn't think he was," Laxus replied before taking another bite. Lucy took a sip of her water confused as to why Laxus had an attitude in his tone.
"You don't have to be a smart ass," Lucy snorted setting her glass down. She popped a grape in her mouth, a crisp pop resonating as she bit into it.
"I'm not," Laxus said. "I never implied I second-guessed his judgment." Lucy froze, feeling the heat rise to her cheeks. Why was she trying to argue with him? And why did his tone suddenly change toward her? Did she do something wrong? Now she felt embarrassed and rather than lashing out she sat there quietly. Normally if she were with Natsu, she had no issue lashing out about how she felt about something but she didn't feel that way with Laxus. Maybe it was his maturity level compared to Natsu's.
"Sorry," she mumbled, avoiding his eyes.
"Do I make you uncomfortable?" Laxus asked as he watched her squirm in her chair. He really wasn't good with small talk when it came to women.
Lucy shook her head weakly. "No, just sometimes I'm not sure how to act around you. You're intimidating," She admitted. Laxus chuckled, taking a swig of his beer.
"Just be yourself. Why be someone you aren't?" Laxus asked curiously. Being some
Lucy fiddled with a grape on her plate. "Well, I have been myself. I need to put a mood ring or something on you because it's hard to tell if I need to be serious and on guard or if I can let my guard down or whatever."
"You always need to remain on guard," Laxus advised. He wiped his mouth with his napkin and tossed it onto his empty plate as he leaned back in his seat.
"Right," she mumbled. Her appetite vanished as she stared at her half-eaten sandwich.
"You can still have a good time while being on guard," Laxus mentioned. Lucy sighed as she leaned her head onto an open palm of her hand.
"I guess so," she said.
"You want me to do what now?" Lucy asked, clenching her hands into fists at her side.
"I want you to pose for a seductive lingerie gig," Jason ordered, pointing a pencil at Lucy.
"I'm a reporter, not a model," Lucy mentioned. It was one thing flaunting her goods when she needed a quick maneuver. Posing for pictures before a bunch of people, practically naked, getting flashed to all hell from a camera didn't sound appealing. She was very much so a prude and still a virgin of her own choice.
"My people want you, though. They said you have the pazazz they are looking for," Jason explained, kicking his feet onto the desk. "And I heard it was a pretty jewel." He rubbed his fingers together with a wink. Lucy felt something was somewhat off with Jason's behavior, but she chose to not question it.
"I think I will have to decline," Lucy answered. Jason shook his head with a sigh as he dropped his feet to the floor.
"Lucy Heartfilia, are my ears deceiving me?" Jason asked. "Did I just hear a no?" His face sported a frown of disapproval.
"Well, I-"
"Just say yes. You won't regret it," Jason said, standing up with a devious grin. "You want to be a journalist, right?" Lucy nodded. Being a journalist was everything she ever wanted, especially at the sorcerer weekly. "Right now, you're at the bottom of the totem pole, even if I made some exceptions for some juicy stories. As your boss, you need to do this modeling gig. It was part of the contract you signed."
"Jason, but-" Lucy tried to protest, but Jason held his hand up.
"I really like you, Lucy, but remember when I offered you this job, you agreed to participate in the modeling gigs as well until you got a promotion," Jason reminded. "I don't ask you a whole lot since Jenny typically takes the job, but they are specifically requesting you." Throwing Jenny in her face made her a brow because that was not something Jason ever did, but she shook her head.
Lucy sighed. "Fine." She said through a clenched jaw. "When and where?"
Lucy followed Jason to a different part of the building with a grin on his face. Lucy felt something was extremely off with the entire situation. Jason never typically argues with her on the modeling gigs. Still, he was extremely set on her doing this particular one. And the fact that it's in a part of the building she didn't know even existed.
They entered through a door after Jason had knocked on it. The lights were off, which sent shivers down Lucy's spine. She made sure her keys were still on her hip, tucking them into the waistband so they weren't as apparent.
"Jason, what is going on?" Lucy asked as the door slammed shut behind them, making Lucy shriek.
"Lucy Heartfilia," A male's voice called. "Welcome." A man walked forward with a toothy smile.
"Who are you?" Lucy asked. "Jason, what's going on?" She asked as she turned toward Jason, who was no longer Jason. "What the hell, who are you? Where's Jason?"
"Oh, don't worry about him. He's just a mute shapeshifter," the man waved off like it was nothing. Lucy had no idea who this person was and explained why she kept getting a bad feeling. Nor did she have any idea what a shapeshifter was.
"What do you want with me?" Lucy asked as she tried to keep her composure. She didn't want any of her spirits crossing through quite yet.
"Simple. You possess something that belongs to me," the man said in a low tone. "Give me back the amulet now."
"Amulet?" Lucy asked, confused.
"Don't play stupid," the man said again. "Austyn, did you not say this woman has the amulet?" The man asked, turning his head to the side. Lucy was straining to see the only lighting coming from the skylights in the dark. The scuffle of feet made Lucy turn her attention back to the direction where the man was. A new body appeared beside him.
"She does. She's a celestial mage," Austyn stated. Lucy swallowed the lump in her throat. How do these people know her or the fact that she was a celestial mage? She wanted to face-palm herself once she realized where the hell they were, her place of employment.
"I do not have the amulet, so he is wrong," Lucy said slowly. "I do not personally possess that item."
"Then who the hell has it?" the man yelled, causing Lucy to take a step back, bumping into the creature behind her. Lucy jumped as she touched him, stepping to the side. Lucy watched as the guy grabbed Austyn by the collar of his shirt and pulled him close. "Did I not warn you if you fucked up one more time, I would get rid of ye? I should have just off ya when you reported losing the pocket watch, as I had sworn." Austyn reached up, clasping his hand around the man's wrist.
"She does have it. Are you deaf? Did you not hear me when I said she was a celestial wizard? What does that freaking mean, Jean? Do I need to spell it out for you? She may not physically have it, but her spirits do," Austyn hissed as he yanked his wrist out of the man's grasp. "And that stupid pocket watch is worthless." The man growled but ignored the remark. The pocket watch, after all, was only a ploy. Although Austyn suspected it did have some sentimental value behind it with the boss. That was his own damn fault for sacrificing an item that had meaning behind it.
Lucy bit the inside of her cheek, not really knowing what she should do. She could call out her spirits, but she had yet to determine if she could take on two guys and whatever the creature was behind her by herself. Lucy had yet to learn who was even on duty to be her guard right now. Laxus had switched out hours before she even met with Jason, well, the imposter Jason. She wasn't even sure where the real Jason was or how these people even got possession of the Sorcerer Weekly.
"You," the man turned towards her. Lucy's hand quickly went to her waist, requesting Virgo and Loke.
"Princess," Virgo said, bowing.
"Princess, I see you have run into some trouble," Loke announced, illuminating his fist to light the surrounding area up. Virgo quickly picked Lucy up, causing Lucy to squeal before any more exchanges as the figure behind them moved to attack Lucy.
"What the hell," Lucy screeched.
"Punishment?" Virgo asked nonchalantly as she glanced at Lucy. Lucy shook her head vigorously.
"Seriously, Virgo? Now? No!" Lucy said in a high-pitched voice.
"Get me that amulet," the man hissed at Austyn.
"Regulus punch!" Loke yelled as he went to punch the creature, trying to swipe at him. The creature dodged, sending a massive wind attack toward the trio. Lucy screamed as the wind sliced at her skin, knocking Virgo and her into the wall behind them. Austyn appeared beside them, hands outreached to grab Lucy.
"I recognize you," Lucy suddenly said before dropping below into the earth. Virgo was digging a tunnel and busted up through the ground on the outside. Virgo set Lucy onto the ground, Lucy readjusting her bottoms. "That was the thief!" Lucy exclaimed. A noise rumbled beneath the ground as smoke started bellowing out of the exit hole.
Lucy felt Loke's energy disappear, making her flinch at the release. Knowing that Loke was defeated left a bad feeling in her gut. She knew she had been close to many near-death experiences. Still, Lucy didn't want to experience another one so soon after the last one. She mentally snorted at the fact she had even thought that.
Austyn and the creature both appeared before Virgo, Virgo raising her arms up and crossing over each other to shield Austyn's attack.
"Who are you, people?" Lucy asked as she kicked at the creature coming towards her.
"Just give us the damn amulet," Austyn hissed angrily as he punched at Virgo once again. Virgo and Lucy ended up back-to-back.
"Princess," Virgo said. "This is not looking good."
"I think I'm starting to agree," Lucy agreed. "But we can't give up." Giving up was one thing she wouldn't do once she got her head out of the ground. She was a fairy tail mage and always will be. Fairy tail doesn't give up. If she did, she was never a true fairy.
"Agreed," Virgo said as she started spinning and dug a hole right before Austyn lunged toward them again. Lucy began to run towards the creature.
"Lucy, kick!" She yelled, coming down on the creature's shoulder. He lifted his arm and grabbed Lucy by the ankle. "Ahh!" She was being held upside down. "Seriously?"
"Give us the amulet," Austyn demanded again as Lucy felt Virgo's energy disappear. She took the heel of her boot from her free leg and clocked the creature in the face, causing him to stumble in surprise, releasing her ankle. She fell to the ground with a thud, the air in her lungs forced out.
"I do not have it," Lucy growled as she pushed herself up.
"I'm not a damn fool," Austyn spat, standing before her. "Give it up."
"Never," Lucy said, narrowing her eyes. Austyn reached down, grabbing a fist full of her hair.
"You must have a death wish," he said with a tilt of his head. Lightning crossed the sky as thunder boomed loudly, rattling the ground. Lucy grabbed Austyn by the wrist and twisted herself up, risking the tug of her hair. Her main goal was to get herself free of his grasp.
"I think you do," Lucy responded as she felt familiar magical energy. "LAXUSSSSSS!" She yelled, knowing he was there.
"Lucy," she heard her name called. Totems above their heads caught Lucy's attention. Bickslow was there too. Four bodies emerged from the darkness surrounding Lucy, Austyn, and the creature. Lucy knew who all four silhouettes were not even having to strain to see.
"I warned you that night, slayer," Austyn said bluntly. Lucy froze when he mentioned that, which didn't go unnoticed after Austyn shook his head with a chuckle. "You didn't tell her? You're more of a fool than I thought." Lucy had no idea what Austyn was talking about but the fact he was familiar with Laxus made her nervous and off guard.
"You have one chance to let her go," Laxus warned coming out from the shadows. He was beyond the term pissed at that moment. He was so pissed he was seeing red. They all failed miserably for not protecting Lucy. He had no idea how long it had been since she was taken.
"Growith," Austyn said. "Take care of them." Austyn grabbed inside his cloak, pulling out a round object, throwing it as hard as he could onto the ground, the object releasing smoke. He wrapped his arms beneath Lucy's knees as he started sprinting them out of the battle zone.
"Put me down!" Lucy demanded as she struggled. Austyn maneuvered her, tossing her over his shoulder.
"Shut up," he ordered. "All you had to do was give me the amulet and that damn pocket watch like I asked the foolish slayer to give me."
"Do you even realize the extent of those devices?" Lucy yelled, pounding a fist on his back. "It can wipe out humanity!" A lightning strike rained down on them. Austyn tossed Lucy off his shoulder as he leaped to the side, barely missing the attack. Lucy whined as she hit a tree, confused as to why Austyn would risk saving her when he could have just dropped her and saved himself. She had no idea what was going on before she was swooped up by the next person and whisked off to wherever.
"I've got you, Miss Lucy," A familiar voice told her.
"Freed?" Lucy asked as she glanced up to see the familiar face. His right eye was black where white should be. "What the hell is going on?" Freed remained silent, not answering. He jumped them through some brush, coming out on a path leading away from where they were.
"Once we get you back to the airship, we will discuss the situation," Freed finally said.
"Well, you can at least put me down now. I can run," Lucy said, defeated. She was so confused and knew she had quite a bone to pick with one lightning dragon slayer.
Lucy tapped the white mug with her fingers as she sat at the bar inside the airship. They were awaiting Laxus's presence and would proceed with the meeting. She sat the mug down, moved her fingers to her temples, and started rubbing in circular motions.
"It'll be okay, honey," Master Bob said, putting a hand on Lucy's arm in comfort. Lucy gave a weak smile, but in truth, she was somewhat concerned about the situation. She didn't heed the warnings well and let her guard down.
"He's mad at me, isn't he?" Lucy asked. She didn't have to say a name. Master Bob knew whom she was referring to.
"Actually, quite the opposite. He's mad at himself. He was very worried about your well-being, dear," Master Bob answered, retracting his hand to continue wiping the counter. Regardless, the whole situation could have been avoided if she had just been more aware of the situation. She still couldn't understand how she didn't see through that diversion of Jason.
"I'm here," a very stressed Laxus announced, strutting in. Lucy winced at the sore sight, noting she had never seen Laxus that disheveled looking. He walked right up to her, turning her towards him. "First off, are you okay?" Lucy's eyes widened at the worried look written all over his face.
"Yes, I'm alright. Thanks," Lucy replied. She did have some nasty scratches on her from the wind blast that the creature sent toward her and Virgo, but otherwise, she was unharmed. She heard him sigh with relief, his hand running through his hair. He walked over to the wall and leaned against it with his arms crossed. Evergreen walked up to the bar, taking a seat beside Lucy as Hibiki, Bickslow, and Freed sat at the chairs provided with a table.
"Okay, so let's start with the bodyguards. What happened?" Master Bob asked as he sat the glass cup down without a sound. "Who was on duty?" Hibiki raised his hand shamefully. "Explain what happened, please, Hibiki."
"Well, everything was fine for a while. Then, to be honest, I have no idea what actually happened. I woke up lying on the ground along with some surrounding civilians. Jason did end up stumbling out of the building not long after I came to but had no recollection of ever seeing or talking to Lucy today," Hibiki explained. "That's when I contacted Laxus and relayed what happened. It was hard to pinpoint where Lucy was taken to between the realm jumper that had transported them and the shapeshifter. We searched for hours." Master Bob held his hand up.
"Lucy, why were you at the Sorcerer Weekly?" Master Bob asked. Lucy glanced up from her mug.
"I wanted to ask Jason something about a piece he was having me write about," she answered. "But that is where I work, so it's not really weird. I was there." She pointed out.
"Mhmm," Master Bob nodded. "What happened on your end?"
Lucy took a small sip, clearing her throat. "I didn't notice anything out of the ordinary right away. I went to go meet Jason about a question. The Jason I spoke to was definitely not the Jason I knew, and the feeling something was off just kept gnawing at me. He was trying to force me to do a modeling gig I didn't feel comfortable doing and threatened my job. So, after I reluctantly accepted, I got led down a hallway I didn't even know existed and into a room resembling a warehouse. That's when the Jason that I encountered transformed into that creature."
"Shapeshifter," Hibiki corrected. Lucy rolled her eyes at him.
"Shapeshifter," Lucy repeated, correcting herself. "They want the amulet I sent to the celestial world."
"I see," Master Bob said, rubbing his chin. "So, the motive isn't even the pocket watch. It's the amulet."
Laxus clicked his tongue. "The boy only wants the pocket watch because he fucked up again. There's nothing special about the pocket watch besides trying to confuse us." Laxus was kicking himself in the ass now. Karma getting back to him; he should have given Austyn that useless pocket watch. At the time, he had only thought he was doing the best option.
"Why didn't you tell me you ran into him?" Lucy asked, mustering the courage to look at Laxus. Everyone else turned their attention toward him as well.
"Lucy, I promise he was going to tell you. He just didn't want to tell you last night because you both were practically sleep-deprived," Evergreen spoke up. Lucy turned to the brunette. "I told him he couldn't leave you in the dark about the meeting."
"That's why you came back?" Lucy asked, glancing away. He had only come back because of the encounter, not because he was taking her up on the offer.
Laxus rubbed his face. "Yes."
Lucy turned back towards her mug, looking down at it. She was fighting back the tears. If only Lucy had known about the encounter, she would have acted more on her instincts that something was off. She had no idea that the enemy was that close. But she knew she couldn't also pinpoint the blame on Laxus either. The whole situation sucked.
"It's okay," Lucy whispered. A totem landed before her, then another, until they formed a tower squawking until Lucy caved with a smile.
"What happened when you encountered the boy?" Master Bob asked, moving on with the meeting. Laxus pushed off the wall and started pacing.
"He was demanding the pocket watch. He said if I gave it to him, he personally would leave Lucy alone but that Lucy would still be in danger with his boss," Laxus answered. "I didn't take his word."
"Well, that is obvious," Master Bob said. "Laxus, can I have a word with you?" he asked, moving around the counter. He reached up lightly, guiding Laxus by the elbow away from the group. Once away from earshot, Master Bob closed his eyes with a sigh. "Do I need to remove you from this order of protection case and put on one of my other guys?" He asked.
Laxus's eyes widened. "What? No. Why?" He asked in a panic.
"Honey, you're distraught. I know a lot is going on finding your grandfather, your guild disbanding, and now this whole thing. I'm just worried you have too much going on." Laxus punched the wall beside them.
"No, please don't," Laxus said, bowing his head. "I will make Lucy a priority. Just please don't remove me."
"I never said she wasn't a priority. I think you're juggling more than you can handle right now," Master Bob explained. "I won't take you off, but you must make sure your focus is where it needs to be. All information needs to be reported no matter the time of day."
"Thanks," Laxus said. Master Bob nodded as they both headed back toward the group. Even with them stepping away, no one missed Laxus punching the wall or Master Bob threatening to remove him from the case. Lucy felt awful, once again forgetting that she wasn't the only one dealing with rough shit. Makarov may have been her master, but he was Laxus's grandfather.
"Lucy, you may still reside at your home. However, suppose there's one more encounter at your abode. In that case, I will have to bring you to the ship in protective custody until we can catch the bad guy," Master Bob announced. Lucy stood up, the chair screeching against the floor.
"Master Bob, I am a fairy tail mage. I am a celestial wizard. For you to think I need to run and hide under protection really hurts my feelings. I will fight just like everyone else," Lucy interjected. She would not be degraded to run and hide.
"I agree. I think Lucy should be able to fight," Bickslow finally spoke up. "She is a strong mage. I know personally." Bickslow winked at her.
"Don't get me wrong, I am super thankful for the protection, but I'm not weak, and I'd like to think I do pretty well holding my own. So, I will join in where I need to," Lucy said with a smile.
"I agree," Freed said with a nod. Evergreen raised her hand and nodded.
"After all, I did teach her the Urano Metria. She's pretty badass if you ask for my opinion," Hibiki gave a thumbs up.
Master Bob held his hands out before him. "Okay, okay. I get everyone's point. I'm sorry if I offended you, honey." A flash of light appeared beside Lucy as Loke appeared with his hands in his pocket.
"Princess," Loke greeted.
"Loke," Lucy said and gave him a hug. "What the heck happened in there?" She asked.
"The head honcho goes by Ladora, but his real name is Jean. He is from a different realm, thanks to the realm jumper. He is certainly after the amulet, but he also has a fascination with us spirits and so forth. He wants possession of your keys. The creature that was present is known as a shapeshifter. The same story. He's from a different realm," Loke explained. "The king is in the mental state of bringing you to the spirit world to avoid such an encounter again."
"No," Lucy said, shaking her head. "I cannot, and he will understand my decline. And Jean is the name I heard the realm jumper refer to him as."
"He does full well. Which only makes the matter of learning the star dress more urgent," Loke stated.
"Enemies from a different realm?" Master Bob said in a stern tone. "I don't like the sounds of that. It's just as bad as enemies from different periods, like the dragons and Tataros."
"Magic is very fickle," Loke said. "At least those are the words of the Celestial King."
"I agree," Master Bob nodded.
The meeting lasted another thirty minutes before getting adjourned. Laxus escorted Lucy back home. Silence sat between them most of the walk. Lucy would open her mouth to say nothing, but no words would come out. She didn't like the guilty aura coming from Laxus, almost like he was doing the walk of shame.
"Lucy, I am sorry," Laxus said as Lucy debated saying something. Lucy grabbed his arm, stopping them both in the road.
"I'm not mad at you," Lucy said with a tilt of her head. "I was only upset until I heard the reason, and I totally understand."
"I should have just told you," Laxus said, avoiding her eyes. If he looked into them, the guilt sensation would start right back over.
"Please don't beat yourself up over it. It's done and over with," Lucy commented. She let go of his arm and skipped to stand before him with her hands behind her back. "The Laxus I know doesn't pout."
"I'm not pouting," he said, narrowing his eyes. The woman had some nerve accusing him of pouting. He was a damn dragon slayer, for crying out loud.
"Definitely are," she said with a giggle. She reached out, grabbing Laxus's hand. "Come on, let's go. Loke plans to run me through the wringer tomorrow." She tugged on his arm as she turned, leading the way back to her apartment. Laxus's legs followed, his eyes zeroed in on the blonde's back, not even protesting that they were, in fact, holding hands, fingers intertwined.