"WHAT DID YOU DO THIS TIME FLAME BRAIN?!"
"I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING YOU DUMB STRIPPER!"
Before the argument could go any further Lucys' whip wrapped around their necks.
"Be quiet!" Lucy channeled Erza so well that Erza herself shuddered "huh, must be a leader thing" Lucy muttered "anyway let's not start a fight before we know what has happened to make Ozpin call us to his office."
"Why you yelling at me for something Natsu did!" Gray shouted.
"WHAT DID YOU SAY YOU-"
Natsu didn't get any further because Lucy activated her whip and shocked them both.
"Now, now" she said overly sweet "you two are going to listen to your leader aren't you?"
"A-Aye sir!" they said in fear, then they rushed out the door.
"Lucy" Erza said quietly "are you okay?"
"Yeah, it's just…" she sighed "back home I could deal with them because I could get away for their idiocy but here I can't."
Erza look downcast "Fairy Tail… we're meant to be a family."
"We are" Lucy hugged Erza "but not all families get along a hundred percent of the time, remember how often Mira and Lisanna teased Elfman about Evergreen."
Erza chuckled "True, thank you for the hug Lucy."
—
Team LEGN stepped out of the elevator into headmaster Ozpin's office.
"Whatever Natsu did I'm sorry" Lucy said quickly.
"Hey!" Natsu started before Erza glared at him.
"Mr Dragneel hasn't done anything" Ozpin chuckled "I have a mission for you."
"Aren't we meant to be going to Forever Fall soon sir?"
"There is no need to call me sir Miss Scarlet" Ozpin sipped his coffee "there is a situation I believe requires your attention, beside I am rather fond of Forever Fall Forest and I would be awfully upset if Mr Dragneel and Mr Fullbuster destroyed it."
Gray and Natsu huffed in irritation at the comment.
Lucy stifled a chuckle "Where are we to go headmaster?" she asked him.
"There have been several dust robberies on the railroad just outside Forever Fall with unidentified and powerful weapons, I would like you to investigate."
"H-How powerful are we talking about?" Lucy said nervously.
"It's nothing we can't handle!" Natsu proclaimed "I'm all fired up!"
"I will have a bullhead take you to destination" Ozpin took another sip of coffee with that pronouncement of doom.
"Noooo" Natsu hid in the corner "please not another death trap."
"Mr Happy if you could escort Mr Dragneel to the bullhead" Ozpin smiled at Happy.
"But he's my friend."
Lucy leant down to Happy "Natsu's planning to steal your fish."
Happy immediately grabbed Natsu and flew out the window "THIS WILL TEACH YOU FOR TRYING TO TAKE MY FISH!"
"HAPPY!" Natsu screamed in despair.
"Perhaps you should catch up to them before Mr Dragneel can escape" Ozpin drank more coffee.
"You know you should really cut back on that" Lucy deadpanned.
—
"H-How could you do thi-HNNG!" Natsu struggled to keep his breakfast down again.
"Good job Happy" Lucy said as she gave him a fish.
"You're the best Lucy!" Happy froze "Lucy… is being… nice?"
"I can be you know" Lucy said irritated.
"THIS IS A SIGN OF THE END TIMES!" Happy shouted "THE APOCALYPSE IS UPON US! REPENT! REPENT!"
Everyone stared at the cat.
"Aren't you going to yell at him Lucy?" Gray asked her.
"Honestly I'm surprised he knows the word apocalypse and used 'upon' correctly."
"Oh Lucy's being mean again everything's okay again" Happy said as he started to munch on his fish.
"I really hate you sometimes" Lucy muttered darkly.
The pilot announced their descent and they started to gather their packs, Erza made Gray carry Natsu's, and they waited patiently for their landing.
—
"Are you sure they can handle this?" Goodwitch asked Ozpin.
"They do seem quite capable" Ozpin countered with a sip of coffee.
"If you're sure" she said with the slightest hint of concern in her voice.
"Are you worried about them?" Ozpin asked amused.
"Absolutely not!" she declared "there are irritating, antagonistic and infuriating!"
She straightened her glasses "However I must admit their devotion to their friends…"
In her mind she thought back to their initiation, how Natsu and Gray had leapt in to protect Ruby without hesitation.
"…. old or new is… somewhat endearing."
Ozpin smiled at her and took another sip of coffee.
—
Team LEGN found themselves on a stretch of railway on a raised bridge.
"This would be the most likely spot for an ambush on a Dust carrying train" Erza said quietly "we should prepare our own."
Lucy looked around, taking in the the environment, looking at the surrounding trees, cliffside and the architecture of the bridge.
"Okay" she said, catching everyones attention "Gray if you get to the top of the cliff you can barrage the robbers with ice artillery while keeping your magic hidden."
Gray grinned widely.
"Erza you have a bow in your arsenal right?"
"Several."
"Good, Erza you take up a position in the taller trees near the track, then you can shoot enemies from a distance or join the close range fighting if things get serious."
Erza nodded at the plan.
"Natsu, you and I will wait on the support arches of the bridges pillar and will engage the enemy once they get in range."
"ALRIGHT!" Natsu shouted excitedly.
Happy started to cry "You forgot about me" he sniffled.
"Just the opposite Happy" Lucy said kindly "you have the most important job."
"I do?" Happy was curious.
"We're fighting on a bridge Happy, if one of us falls off you have to catch us, can you do that?"
Happy leapt into the air "AYE SIR!"
—
"Lucy."
"Yes Natsu?"
"… I'm hungry."
Lucy sighed.
"and bored."
"Don't worry Natsu the train will be here soon."
"Are you sure?"
"Trains run on schedules Natsu."
"I hate trains."
"I know."
—
Erza calmly nocked an arrow as she waited patiently for the train to arrive, she smiled as she was extremely proud of how much Lucy had grown since coming to Remnant, she scowled however as she thought of how Natsu and Gray hadn't matured at all but she sighed as she realised she hadn't changed much either but she snapped to attention as she heard the sound of the approaching train and she drew her bow.
—
Natsu and Lucy readied themselves as they heard the train but they nearly lost balance as a mighty wind whipped about them and before long the heard a loud crash and the bridge started to shake, Natsu grabbed Lucy and propelled them to the top of the bridge with the recoil of his shotgun boots, when they landed on the bridge they nearly fell over due to the intense gale raging around them , the wind carried a trace of the attackers scent and Natsu's eyes widened.
'It can't be!' He thought 'he can't be here!'
Lucy gasped as she and Natsu looked upon the wrecked remnants of the Dust carrying train, the assailant was hovering in the air above the train, hood obscuring his face and scythe clutched in his hand, he turned to them.
"Erigor!" Lucy gasped "Erigor the reaper! How did you you get here?!"
"Do I know you" Erigor mumbled to himself "I don't remember" he pointed his scythe at them and a spiralling column of wind and lightning blasted towards them, Natsu grabbed Lucy and leapt to the side.
"Hey Lucy" Natsu growled "since it's just him I can use magic right?"
Lucy nodded "Kick his ass Natsu" she told him.
Natsu channeled flames at his feet and fired his boots he blasted at Erigor fast enough to cause a sonic boom, he appeared before Erigor with his fist cocked back.
"FIRE DRAGONS…"
Erigor positioned his scythe to block the strike.
"…BLAST FIST!"
Natsu's dragon fire coated his fist and roared out of the barrels of his gauntlets.
'He combined his magic with his weapons already?' Lucy thought, stunned with the development.
As Erigor flew backwards he was struck with a barrage of ice projectiles, and Gray slid in on top of an ice structure.
"What the hell is that wind bag doing here?" He asked.
Several arrows cut through the air towards Erigor forcing him to spin his scythe to deflect them.
"How did you get here and why are you stealing Dust?!" Erza shouted at the hooded man as she approached him, she re-quipped her bow away and drew the sword at her side "answer and you will not be severely harmed!"
Erigor raised his scythe and when he swung it he unleashed a gigantic wave of gale-force wind, the wizards braced against the tempest and when it died down the looked up to see both the Dust and the hostile wind mage had disappeared.
"Um guys?" Happy floated up from underneath the bridge "what happened here?"
"That is a good question Happy" Erza stated grimly.
"The better question" Gray started "is why this happened?"
—
—
Author's Note: Well that's another chapter done and with it team LEGN have encountered their first enemy from Earthland, they now have another mystery to unravel.
Well… see ya later.