Chapter 6:
/Natsu's POV/
Lucy plagued my mind. Something about her intrigued me. Was it the way she always cautiously moved and constantly had her head over her shoulder or her womanly appearance despite her age?
I pushed open the doors of the administration building. There was something about Lucy and Grey that wasn't quite right. Grey's ability was suspicious, the way he shot those men was far from the way a newbie would shoot. And Lucy, why was she carrying a gun? I wish I could have seen how he had done that. Walking I entered a room containing a long table, Makarov was seated in the extravagant chair at the end of the table while the generals and lieutenants vacated the side seats. I took my seat at the other end of the table in a less extravagant version of Makarov's mahogany chair.
"How nice of you to join us Dragneel" sneered Laxus, a general. I merely grunted in response.
"Enough laxus" Makarov ordered. The small and stubby man pursed his lips. "Dragneel, what's the report on the recruits" he inquired.
"Grey shows great potential, I'm sure you have heard about the... situation that happened upon their arrival," I replied.
"Yes... I heard about that incident." He said furrowing his brows, "What about the girl- Lucy?"
"She's got her first training session today until then I have nothing absolute to report" I replied in a monotone voice.
"Hmmm, Laxus I want the girl under your training supervision," Makarov ordered.
"Yes sir" he replied.
"Meeting dismissed" ended Makarov, the Generals and Lieutenants filtered out the room, Makarov looked thoughtfully out the window. The man was full of mysteries.
/Lucy's POV/
I woke up with the sun shining through my eyelids. I roll to my side blocking the myriad light. I scanned the room, everyone was still asleep, their light snores confirming that. I got up and went to the closet to get my toiletries, a pair of grey trackies and a black singlet. Wendy had taken me to the administrative building yesterday to collect a pack of belongings. The pack consisted of necessity toiletries, 3 changes of clothes and undergarments and 2 pairs of runner: one grey and one white. Wendy told me that I would be able to buy more things when I make money from the jobs I'm assigned to.
I made my way to the communal bathroom. No one had entered the bathroom yet, I flipped the light switched and stepped onto the cold tiles. I placed my belongings inside one of the blue lockers. Grabbing one of the grey towels I made my way to the showers gingerly peeling back one of the green curtains. I let the warm water drizzle down my back, relieving my tight muscles from the uncomfortable night's sleep. I lulled my head to the side cracking the kinks out of my neck. Grey would be getting out the Dark Room today, not having him by my side made me angsty and vulnerable. I heard two pairs of footsteps followed by the gush of water from the decrepit taps.
"Did you hear about the newbies that arrived a couple of days ago?" Asked a nasal voice.
"Yeah I did, one of them is a boy, a total hottie" gushed the other girl in a thin voice. "Ugh I bet he's with that blond bimbo though," she said turning off a tap.
"Don't worry that bitch will never survive in a place like this, she'll be gone before her first job" she sneered. The other girl giggled.
"Let's go to the Dark Room and check out the new hottie" I could almost hear the smirk in her voice. The two laughed, after a while of idle gossip I heard their voices fade as they left the bathroom. I quickly dried myself with the grey towel I felt it's sandpaper-like texture rub grate against my skin. Stepping out the shower I got changed and went back to my room. I sat down on my bed leaning against the frame of the window with a book Levy had lone me. I was lucky to have a friend who shared the same hobbies as me. I pondered on the thoughts of what others thought of me and Grey, I was never one to dwell on what people imagine me to be but there was nothing else to do but think in a place like this. Today, I will have my first training session. I thought of all the ways I could hide my abilities to avoid suspicion.
/Grey's POV/
"Mama! Mama! Mama!" I cried tugging on mother's apron.
"Yes, Grey?" A small smile played on her lips as she closed the book she was reading and wedged it between her thigh and the side of the armchair. I clambered onto her lap, nuzzling my face into the crook of her neck. She let out a contagious laugh and swiped my ticklish bangs off her neck.
"Sing for me, pleasssse mama!" I begged.
"Alright alright Grey, but straight after off to bed." I nodded in response. Melodias notes drifted through the room.
"London Bridge is falling down
Falling down, falling down
London Bridge is falling down
My fair lady
Build it up with iron bars
Iron bars, iron bars
Build it up with iron bars
My fair lady
Iron bars will bend and break
Bend and break, bend and break
Iron bars will bend and break
My fair lady"
The warm light of the candles residing on the side tables danced against the somber darkness of my house. I let my eyelids grew heavy as I drowned in the harmonious melody.
"Build it up with gold and silver
Gold and silver, gold and silver
Build it up with gold and silver
My fair lady
London Bridge bridge is falli-"
A piercing scream rang in my ears, I shot up. I felt a sticky substance drip onto my forehead. I wiped my head, my hands were coated in red. Shakily I looked up at Mama, her eyes rolled back in an unholy manner, the red substance coated her face and an axe protruded from her scalp. I let out a screech scurrying off her lap. My body shook as the fear coursed through my veins, my heart pounded heavily against my chest. Father stood behind Mama. His eyes were bulging out of his sockets. He removed the axe from Mama. Bloodied axe in hand he stalked towards me I backed up against the wall, my heart hammering.
"Grey? Silver?" I turned my attention to the small blond girl rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. "What's happening?" She looked up to see Mama's still body and the bloodied axe in Father's hand. Her eyes widened, dropping the doll she named Michelle, father adverted his attention to Lucy. Father started shaking with rage.
"You! This is your fault!" He screeched "You and your abomination of a father!" He staggered towards Lucy whose legs buckled. Adrenaline replaced the fear that coursed through my veins. I grabbed the candles off the side table and jabbed them against the nape of Fathe's neck. A shriek bursts through his lips as he fell to his knees clutching his neck. I grabbed the axe that soiled Mama and I heaved the axe with all my strength towards my Father. The axe hit once, twice after the 12th time I lost count
The axe rang as it hit the floor, Fathers limp body, endowed with lacerations, tumbled to the ground. I fell to the floor, I felt my stomach churn and knives prick against my heart. Fragile arms circled my head, I leaned into Lucy's warm touch. I felt the tears roll down my cheeks, I let out a pained scream. Lucy clutch onto me tighter she took in a shaky breath before she began,
"London Bridge is falling down.."
My eyes suddenly burned I blinked adjusting my vision. I took in my surroundings, after days of being shrouded in silence and darkness a rectangular light appeared on the northern wall. A pink-haired man stepped from the light. Only when I realised it was Natsu did I realise I was singing London Bridge. I let the last line die on my lips before standing up. My lips were cracked and my throat burned for salvation. I hobbled towards the light looking Natsu in the eye.
"Lucy?" I croaked, he shook his head.
"She's training at the moment" Natsu crossed his arms over his chest clad in back.
"I want to see her" I rasped. Just passed Natsu I saw 2 green and red-headed girls. They scurried away when I made eye contact with them.
"You can see her later, we need to get you settled." Natsu put a hand on his shoulder.
"I. Don't. Care. Take me to her now" I demanded flicking his hand off my shoulder. Natsu let out a sigh dragging his hands through his hair.
"Fine, ice freak" he responded tossing him a bottle of water. I unscrewed it and drank it greedily feeling the cool water cascade down my barren throat. We walked through the masses of people, many offered sympathetic looks, I shrugged them off. We arrived upon a familiar door he pushed it open, I trailed next to him. Natsu's shoulder drove against my own as he lunged forward, as he ran I saw a blond man holding a gun to Lucy's head. I felt the blood drain from my face as he fired the bullet.
/Lucy's POV/
Hours dwelled by and the girls had gotten ready for the way, we made our way to the building that I learnt to be called the combat base, in the combat base there was the general training room a gym and many other separate rooms that designed to hone specific abilities. On the corkboard this morning someone has stuck a note saying I would be training with a man named Laxus. Levy was ecstatic as that was her regimen too. Making our way into the general training room Levy and I ideally chatted as we waited for our groups lieutenant to make his way here. In our group, there were 8 other people all varying in appearance.
A hushed silence fell over our group as a big burly blond man strides towards us. Levy stands ridged as he makes eye contact with each member. His eyes finally land on me. His eyes were cold and hard, taking this as I challenged I started back with just as much distaste. Finally, he adverted his attention.
"Blondie will be joining out regimen for the rest of her... stay." He said, his voice full of authority. "Does anyone object" Everyone shook their head. "Fifty laps, if I see anyone stop it'll be another ten. Ya got that!" He commanded.
"Yes sir!" Everyone synced. I was a syllable behind everyone causing slight attention on me. Everyone kept an even pace jogging around the training room, around the 7th lap I heard 2 familiar voices enter the building. I turned my head towards the two giggling girls, one sporting an unusual shade of green and the other with flaming red hair. Their giggles were silenced by Laxus' booming voice.
"Why are you late!" Laxus boomed. The girls shivered and stuttered incoherently several distorted reasons. I leaned slightly down to Levy's level.
"Levy, who are those girls?" She raised an eyebrow at me.
"That's Karen and Flare why," she asked with a puzzled expression. I explained what happened in the morning and their plan to go see Grey, they obviously hadn't kept track of the time. Levy let out a loud snort while trying to muffle her laughs resulting in a loud slam as he tripped over her feet landing on the weight stand causing them to topple the sound drummed on everyone's ears. As I quickly bent down to help her up I caught Laxus' curious expression. He instructed the girls to run 70 laps as punishment. As he walked over I could see Levy gnawing at her lip in worry. Instantly I felt guilty, I lowered my face.
"It was my fault I distracted her!" I blurted out in a blubbered mess. He adverted his attention to me.
"It doesn't matter the focus of an assassin should never be broken," he said crossing his arms over his chest.
"Don't be an asshole, it was just an accident!" I yelled, fury leaking from my skin. I could hear the array of gasps from behind me. I felt the familiar noise of a gun cocking, a pistol was pointed between my eyes I kept my gaze hard, he wouldn't shoot, he wouldn't shoot, he wouldn't shoot I chanted in my head. He placed a finger on the trigger, I could see the hesitation in his eyes, I clenched my fists. The gunshot and the air shattered, the bullet torn through space leaving silence in its wake.