Lucy signed to herself as team Natsu walked through the bustling streets of Magnolia towards the guild hall.
"Was that an awesome job or what!" Natsu put his arms behind his head as he walked next to Gray laughing with Happy floating just above his head.
"Well the client sure seemed to think so!" Happy shouted.
Gray shoved his hands into his pockets emitting a cool guy vibe. "Face it, you guys are just lucky i decided to come along."
Natsu turned to face him, hand on his hips still walking with an eyebrow raised. "We're lucky that you begged to come with us? How'd you figure?"
Gray just rolled his eyes. "Because you were about as useful as one of Erzas suitcases." And suddenly they were both in each others faces arguing like they were little kids... as usual.
"You'd better watch your mouth or I'll pack you like a suitcase pal."
"That doesn't make any sense."
They were so caught up in their argument that they didn't notice Erza coming up behind them. She swiftly grabbed each of them by the collar and yanked them apart.
"That's enough boys." She turned to Gray. "Now please get dressed."
Leaping away he shrieked looking around frantically for his clothes. "for crying out loud, why does this keep happening to me!"
Happy took this moment to fly in between the three of them. "A bit of advise Gray, never get into a fight in your underwear."
"Hey, sorry to interrupt your conversation," Lucy walked over to the four holding the request in one hand while Plue was snuggled in her other arm. "But when I took this job I was originally thinking it'd be more of a solo mission. You know so why'd you all have to come along."
"Ah come on, isn't it obvious?" Natsu smirked.
"No I don't think so." Said Lucy.
Natsu gave her a thumbs up. "We're fairy tail's strongest team so we gotta stick together."
"Aye sir!" Happy shouted from Grays shoulder.
"And don't you forget it." Gray smirked now with his clothes back on. while Erza nodded in agreement.
Well if you can't beat them, join them. "Yeah we are" Lucy joined in.
"No job is too tough, not for me, Happy, Erza, and old droopy draws here."
Gray sighed and shoved his hands in his pockets. "Don't call me that."
"We are quite a capable bunch." Erza said as Happy flew over their heads.
"True that."
"You forgot about me!" Lucy shouted at them.
"Hey lighten up, I'm just messin' with ya loopy." Natsu laughed as they continued up the street that lead to the guild.
"Well I don't appreciate it, and that's not my name."
"Please forgive me." Erza scalded herself. "I truly didn't mean to upset you. I let myself get carried away. It will not happen again. If you would like you may stike me now."
"That's ok I really don't think it's in my best interest. Lucy sweat dropped. She really had no idea why Erza thought that she needed punishing for every little thing that she did wrong.
"Smart move." Natsu and Gray said at the same time, both of them remembering when they had taken up her offer and both times she had immediately forgotten that she had said they could hit her.
As they neared the end of the street, Gray began to notice alot of people were staring at them and whispering. He glanced down quickly to check his clothes were still on, and when he saw they were it only confused him more.
"Why's everybody staring at us?" He asked the rest of the group.
"It's not the good kind of staring." Happy said nervously and flew closer to Natsu.
"It feels like pity." Erza said as they rounded the corner and came face to face with the guild hall.
"What!" She cried out making the rest of them look up at what she had seen. "Why does the guild look so bizarre?"
Gray looked up at the guild hall to see giant spikes of metal and ice jutting out from the building at every angle. It was a wonder the place was still standing considering the amount of damage.
"No way!" Gray cried in disbelief.
"What's happened to it?" Erza cried out.
"No! I don't understand." Lucy gasped.
Natsu stood, his fists clenched and trembling with rage. "Our guild. Someone did this to our guild."
"Who would do such a thing." Erza questioned raking her brain to come up with an answer.
They were all so preoccupied with the state of the guild that they didn't notice Mira walk up behind them. "It was Phantom."
"Are you serious!" Gray exclaimed
Natsu turned round to look at Mira with a fire in his gaze. "You mean Phantom did this?" He shouted barely being able to control his rage.
"We couldn't do anything to stop them." Mira spoke quietly trying not to start crying again. "They got us good."
Mira lead them through the broken guild hall to the basement where the rest of the guild members were at on barrels drinking.
"We've never been on the best of terms with those Phantom jerks but come on!" Jet complained to the rest of his team.
"Wanna teach em a lesson?" Droy suggested. He, like every other person in the basement wanted to retaliate if not for revenge but to let out their anger at the Phantom Lord guild.
"Back off you guys." Levy sighed clearly fed up with everyone making up plans to destroy Phantom that would never come to light. "Don't you think we're in enough trouble already."
Mira walked over to the makeshift bar which is where they found a very drunk Makarov.
"Yo! What's up kids?" He slurred.
"Sorry we weren't here sooner." Erza apologised.
"Why the heck are you all just sitting around down here?" Natsu shouted enraged that nothing was being done about the attack.
"How'd it go Lucy?" Makarov ignored them. "You finish the job like a good girl?"
"Yeah, I guess so." She answered finding it weird he was avoiding the elephant in the room.
"Master, do you understand the gravity of this situation?" Erza asked him sternly, slightly annoyed at his ignorance.
"There's no need to get yourselves all worked up. It's not the end of the world or anything." He slurred a response that was not what any of them expected.
"What!" Gray exclaimed.
"Just goes to show you how cowardly those dunderheads in the Phantom Lord guild really are." He took another swig of his beer. "They struck when no-one was here. Is that anything worth bragging about?"
"Nobody was here?" Erza questioned.
"It was after everybody left for the night." Mira said with sadness in her voice.
"I suppose we could be thankful for that. At least no-one in our guild was hurt in the attack." Erza sighed, thankful for the small mercy.
"We shouldn't trouble ourselves worrying about people who don't even have the guts to face us head on. Forget about those fools." Makarov slurred taking another swig from his beer.
Hearing this had been the last straw for Natsu's restraint on his anger as he punched the wall in frustration. "Ain't gonna happen gramps. We can't just let em trash our place and get away with it!" He screamed while Makarov sat unaffected by his outburst.
"I'm not talking about this any longer. We'll handle job requests down here until the upstairs is repaired."
"We shouldn't be worrying about jobs right now!"
"Natsu that's enough out of you!" Makarov stretched his hand out and smacked Lucy's bum.
"And you spanked me because..?"
"Hands to yourself Master." Mira scalded him as he jumped top his feet on the crate and sheepishly ran off.
"Where are you going old man." Natsu shouted after him.
"Ah keep your dress on I gotta take a leak." He called back.
Natsu clenched his fists in frustration. "I don't understand why he's being like this."
"Listen," Mira spoke up. "This is just as hard on him as it is on you. He's mad but conflicted between the guilds is strictly forbidden by the council."
"It's not fair." Natsu whined. "Those Phantom creeps started it."
"I know but that doesn't matter." Mira said trying to make Natsu understand the extent of what has been done.
"If the masters decision was not to retaliate, then we must respect it." Erza spoke being the voice of reason in the group.
It had gone dark by the time Lucy left the guild hall. She had been talking with Levy about her novel to take their minds off of their current situation, and for a few hours it had worked. But reality came crashing back down when they all went their different ways to head home.
She walked on top of the small stone wall that separated the path from the canal with Plue infront of her giving her some company. She was glad of it tonight more than ever. The dark allyways she passed seemed like they were hiding things in their shadows. Though she just put that down to her having an overactive imagination.
"Well this is a pretty big mess we're in right now isn't it Plue?"
A boat passed them on the canal. "Watch out blondie you're about a step away from swimming."
Lucy ignored them as usual but was thankful that her walk home was as normal as it could be considering the circumstances. She passed the last of the dark narrow allyways and shivered slightly as she glanced down it.
Shaking her head she decided to continue her conversation with Plue, unaware of the figure watching her walk past.
Luna had been glad the ally was as dark as she thought otherwise she would have just been caught. She back away slowly from the canal to head towards the rendezvous point she had made with Gajeel. She stretched her arms up to the sky and felt her back pop slightly. She had been creeping around all day trying to stay out of sight from anyone who had been walking passed.
Seeing the quite passive reaction from the guild, they had decided to leave them one last surprise before they left to cloud the fairy tail members minds in anger. They were going to beat up some of the weaker members and when they were found it would be easy for the elemental four to snatch up the Heartfilla girl.
Silently, Luna climbed up the fire escape of a block of flats and flipped to land on the roof of the neighbouring building. As she crept along she picked up Gajeel heavy metallic scent and heat signature as he joined her on one of the higher rooves.
Her only acknowledgement of his arrival had been a slight nod as they waited above a dark ally for some fairy tail wizards to walk down.
Levy had decided against staying at the fairy hills with the other girls. In times like these she felt safer staying with Jet and Droy. As team shadow gear they knew all of each others strengths and weaknesses so it would be easier for them to fight together if anything were to happen.
"You sure this is ok?" Jet asked her. "Shouldn't you stay with Laki and the others at the girls dorm?"
"It's fine I don't wanna split up our team!" She smiled.
"The three of us can face anything together!" Jet exclaimed not knowing of the smirk Gajeel gave them from the rooftop. They knew that this would be the best chance they would get tonight of ambushing some wizards and that after that comment he couldn't wait to dent not only their pride, but their capability as a team.
He tapped Luna on he arm as he jumped silently behind the three as Jet and Droy started squabbling over who was the best at protecting Levy.
"I'll always protect you." Droy exclaimed.
"No I will." Jet argued back.
Luna took this opportunity to jump from the building and land directly in front of them with a thud. "I don't think that either of you will be able to protect her." She smirked as she rushed forward at the group at the same time Gajeel did from behind.