The rest of the pairing announcement went in and out through Lucy's ear.
What did she just say?
Lucy blinked as Phoebe continued rambling on. "Hime vs Drakon Lee... Aoi Fraya vs Sakura Warde... Ah, question miss Lucy?" Numerous pairs of eyes turned their attention as Lucy awkwardly took a small step forward, one hand crossing over her chest while the other rose up in the air in a puzzling manner.
"Er... Yeah... Could you repeat my match-up again, please? I don't think I heard right..." Lucy laughed nervously as Phoebe raised an eyebrow, as if thinking of something to retort back, but (to Lucy's relief) seemed to have thought the better of it and shot the shuffling blonde a smile. "Sure!" Phoebe looked at her Lacroma Vision TV, pressed a few buttons on a remote, and soon a whole chart of whom was already drawn with their partners appeared on the wide black screen.
"Oohhhh..." Hums of awe rifled through the mob of girls as each individually studied the flat board.
Lucy gulped. She was right the first time. She was going up against the guy who she had met at the restaurant. Damn. Lucy was certain she saw faint outlines through his clothes of pure muscle- she wasn't going to have an easy time that was for sure.
"Well, shit." She cursed as she kicked the ground with her booted foot. Small chunks of dirt and grass flew up and hit some nearby girls, which caused a racket of screams, squeals and demands for an apology (which Lucy did eventually give them). After waving off a quick "Sorry!" to the screaming drama queens, Lucy decided to take a seat and contemplate on how the hell was she going to defeat her just newly made friend.
Andddd- there goes another bond with a person down the dump.
Yeah... Lucy didn't really care for socializing but she did bother with the ones she currently already had.
...What a pain.
Lucy groaned, placing her head into her hands just as Phoebe smiled to take her leave. "And there you go, folks! Ah- it seems like it's almost time for the festivities. Please be sure to stay in the tent until after your match-ups. We have doctors and meds in the nearby tent on the left of the boy's room so please be sure you check up in there at least once before your fight and after. Thanks! I'll see you all in a bit then." And with that Phoebe bowed once, her soft smile still placed on her lips with a curve, before she turned and exited through the tent flaps.
After that, Lucy didn't know how much time flew by, but eventually she did get up off her chair to go visit the medics in the other tent, as Phoebe said she should. Tons of battle strats and ideas raced through her mind continuously, even as the doctor and nurse injected a shot into Lucy's arm. Her face must've been giving a glare vibe (though she was just mixed in thought) because tons of people stepped away and avoided her eyes as Lucy walked out of the tent and into another.
Her eyes landed on another floating Lacrima Vision TV, once she snapped back into reality and stopped daydreaming about swinging her dagger around. Up on the screen showed two figures whom Lucy recognized- Ecila and Veronica.
Luckily, timer seemed not to have started the match yet.
Lucy rose an eyebrow as she watched Phoebe and a boy with a cute cut of surfer's hair (platinum blonde of course like Phoebe's) stand off to the side of the arena on a large tall stand.
Phoebe rubbed her hands together, grinned, and joined in on the last three seconds of the clock. "3." Ecila's eyes narrowed and she picked up her right foot and placed it in back- forming into a battle position. "2." Ecila clicked her tongue in impatient annoyance. "1-" Lucy raised an eyebrow as she watched Veronica's eyes widen in horror- trembling from head to toe. "Begin." A loud 'bong' was heard as Ecila blurred out of sight the moment the word left Phoebe's lips. Lucy swore she saw Veronica wet her pants, just before being blown off the arena circle with a loud 'krack'.
Dust filled the screen, and a moment later- static. But soon, the TV was restored and the dirt began to subside, as Lucy squinted (even though she was watching on a TV...) to see the small figure still standing on the arena. Ecila eventually came unto focus for the camera, a hard look on her face so ferocious it sent shivers down Lucy's spine. Phoebe and Kyle were speechless, as both had wide jaws open, blinked, turned to look at each other, and faced back to the arena again. All doing this simultaneously. "W-Well then... Er... E-Ecila E. Kiki wins!" Kyle stuttered, as he blinked multiple times quickly in disbelief.
But, something was off.
Ecila still seemed to be in a fighting position.
... Veronica was going to be forever in Lucy's prayers.
Ahh... Shit.
Ecila shot off again, her feet pushing off the arena ground as a boost with a leap to gain speed, as she jolted off to where Veronica lay crashed on the ground in a small crater off to the side, moaning in pain. Lucy winced and covered her eyes as the Lacrima TV repeated the echoes of the pummeling Veronica was receiving. A loud, 'wham' a creaking 'Errrrk' and a frighteningly loud, 'krackk'.
... Disclocated shoulder and a bone sticking out in the wrong way it was supposed to, with a sprinkle of large busts and bruises all over from the sounds of it. Yikes.
Ecila was scary.
How did Hargeon have such monsters as her here?
Lucy's ego had probably shrunken that day.
Kyle and Phoebe, along with a bunch of security managers were freaking out, a bunch running over to stop the madness caused by Ecila, and the chaos of wether Veronica lived or what not.
... She probably didn't.
Lucy scrunched her eyebrows together in confusion, as from the corner of her eye, she watched as "Hime" grimace. "Damn... I only told her to imagine as if poor Veronica was the obstacle between Viktor and Yuri's relationship... Or Mika and Yuu's and maybe Rin and Haru and- nevermind... Argh, dammit. Poor poor Veronica..." Hime shook out her blonde locks in sympathy as she tutted to herself in annoyance. Lucy cocked her head in confusion. What? Mika and Yuu from Owari no Seraph? And Rin and Haru from Free? And Yuri and Viktor from Yurii! On ic-What? No- Lucy wasn't an anime and manga fan. She totally wasn't into hot guys in anime shows and-Aw fuck.
Lucy turned her attention back to the screen. Loud jeers and applauds were echoing through the crowd- both coming from outside he tent and through the Lacrima TV. Veronica was now being hustled out and into the medic's tent on a stretcher, while Ecila kicked and screamed as two burly men grabbed hold of her- only to get each a punch and kick right in the balls... More prayers incoming.
Lucy sighed as she watched as Phoebe and Kyle frantically began whispering to each other, before each plastered a fake and nervous smile on their faces.
"Ahem..." Kyle cleared his throat, a trickle of sweat falling down the side of his forehead, as he looked at a grinning Phoebe in reassurement before continuing on. "A-Anyways, that was an interesting fight. Both Ecila and Veronica are out- for numerous reasons. Veronica DQed for injuries, and Ecila... Er... For going a little bit over board on the 'wrestling' part." Phoebe winced at the point of "'little'" but over board, and honestly Lucy couldn't blame her.
"Um... Continuing on," Kyle coughed. "Let's all draw to see who our next match up will be!" He sent the crowd a nervous and wavering, but undeniably cute smile, causing quite a few numerous girl-like (and a few guy-ish - Lucy wasn't one to judge) screams, as he flipped his side bang-ed surfer's hair off to the right. Phoebe rolled her eyes, the microphone catching onto a small pressured whisper, "Lady's man magnet." And a small, "Hey!" From Kyle, and a ripple of laughter passed through the crowd, just before Phoebe reached into a small cube like machine and grabbed a small folded piece of paper inside.
She unfolded it, waiting a few seconds for anticipation and for the gigantic mob of people to calm down, before reading the given number aloud. "5." Lucy's eyes widened. "Gray Frost versus Lucy Celestial... And please-contestants once you knock each other out or out of the arena space, please avoid any more violence involved." A glint of desperation shone in Phoebe's stunningly sky shocking blue eyes, as she glanced around nervously, Kyle nodding his approval with a gulp besides his sister.
"All right then- Contestants to the arena entrances please."
Lucy gulped thickly.
To be honest, she seriously hoped she wouldn't have to fight the "Gray Frost" she had just met a moment ago. She was still hoping on the wish of this being a different, "Gray". Though, with her luck, Lucy would be up against the exact same person she saw at the restuarant.
Well, she'd find out in a second, once Phoebe (or Kyle) called her out from the side entrance. The arena was a built structure, shaped like a circle, around two feet or so higher off the ground. The arena had a long stall like tower, for the referee/hosts (where Phoebe and Kyle were at the moment), to the direct east of the circle. Two long stall like hallways, stood at the Nothern and Southern end, where Lucy was currently (at the Southern ended hallways). They had a somewhat fence as a borderline of the hallway's entrance standing in the way of the arena field, and where Lucy was standing now. Of course, it had piqued the hopes of Lucy not fighting Gray, but alas- Lucy wasn't quite a luck filled girl...
Ah... The gates are opening now...
...Here goes nothing.
Gray scratched the back of his head, just as the gateway between the arena and him lifted upwards to allow his entrance.
Either he was going to meet two "Lucy Celestial"s in one day, or he was going to have to kick his new found 'friend''s (should he call the lady he just met that?... Hmm. Acquaintances then.) rear end. He wasn't really looking forward to it, because something had told him Lucy was a pretty good fighter, but what was he gonna do about it? Nats-Flame for Brains, had told him he was going to infilitrate Hargeon eventually, so he should probably stock up some extra money. Of course, being the dumbass he was Pyro freak didn't realize that was the main point of the whole infiltration process, and that it'd be easier to snatch some jewels for himself during the process. But, noooo. Erza just had to be there so he couldn't call out their dumbass pirate sub-captain's useless idea, and Mira just had to recommend the wrestling match at 8:00 that night.
... What a pain.
... Damn, he really needed to find a smarter best friend.
Honestly, I was planning on going up till when Fairy Tail interrupted the match, but I really like stopping at cliffhangers (haha, even though I hate them... Whaaat? Who're you calling hypocrite?). I added a bonus Gray POV ending, I guess kind of a spoiler for what's to come so... Nuhuhuhuh.
Updated on Mondays! Thanks for all the support!
~Luv Trinity