Chapter Ten : Body Parts
Wendy's P.O.V. -
"Carla~" Happy skipped next to her. "Do you want a fish?"
"No," she continues to strut forward, not even glancing in Happy's direction.
"Carla~" Happy had to jog to keep up with her. "Will you teach me how to turn into a human too?"
"If you shut up, maybe," Carla walked even faster to get away.
I chuckled, "Aww Carla, be nice."
Natsu-san was ahead of all of us, quiet. I don't think I've ever seen Natsu-san so quiet before.
"Natsu-san?" I finally decided to ask. "Are you feeling alright?"
He turned around and gave me a huge smile, "Of course! I'M ALL FIRED UP FOR A FIGHT!"
Even though he was smiling, I felt that something was a little off.
"I wonder if Erza ran into an opponent…" Kagayaku-san whispered to himself.
"Erza?" Lucy-san giggled. "Good luck to anyone who runs into her."
"Same for Nakina. She'll shred them apart with her sword," Kagayaku-san shivered jokingly.
I laughed, "Same with Erza-san! But of course she'd never kill them."
Kagayaku-san didn't say the same for Nakina-san.
"But I don't think Erza and them would have fought," Lucy-san thought. "After all, this mission is mainly to test you guys."
"She's amazing," Kagayaku-san said quietly to himself.
I accidentally let my question slip out of my mouth, "How do you know you like Erza-san so much when you've just met her?"
"Well," he began, not offended by my question, "she dresses in armor to try and distance herself from everyone. And when she thinks so one is looking, she sometimes takes it off. But it's only for a moment. In those few seconds or so, she smiles in a sad, yet beautiful way. And before you know it, you're completely entranced by her. Her voice holds authority and the way she walks is like a queen. But at the same time she has built a wall around her heart like a child who covers themselves under their sheets from the monsters. Erza's just like a little girl who had to grow up too fast."
He seemed sorrowful in the way he spoke, as if he related to her in a way I never knew. From his descriptions, I could tell he had watched her carefully for awhile now. I had been worried, thinking that Kagayaku-san had other intentions, but after listening to him, I couldn't help but feel as though his feelings were true and deep.
"But I hear she's waiting for another," he laughed.
Lucy-san looked surprised, but then sighed, "It's complicated."
"I don't think it should be," he said. "I mean, I know that I'm ignorant to their situation, but no man is worthy of her if they're going to leave her waiting on them."
"He's a good guy," Lucy-san began to explain a little. "They've known each other since they were children...in a rough situation. She says that she got her courage from him."
"Nevertheless, it doesn't matter," Kagayaku-san mumbled. "I respect her decision. Who's that?"
We all looked up and in the direction he was pointing. It was a lanky man with long, black hair with a huge suitcase. From afar, he looked grey.
"Stop," his words were slurred, his voice deep and quiet. "Turn around."
"Who are you?" Natsu-san pointed. "What's up with your face?"
There were long lines of stitches all across his body, connecting different pieces of his flesh.
"What's up with your face?" he mimicked Natsu-san. "I don't like you."
He opened his briefcase slowly, but the contents were hidden. His movements were so slow, I didn't think that he could put up a decent fight.
"My name is 11Z3. Z3 for short," he pulled out a butcher knife. "Who are you?"
"Natsu," Natsu-san said. "Let us through and take us to whoever made the town like this!"
"Hmm?" Z3 pulled out a huge kitchen knife. "Well you're looking at one of them."
"Then too bad for you," Natsu-san sent a fireball towards the boy, who just held out one of his hands.
While his arm burned he spoke, "That's some fire you got there."
After a few moments, the fire disappeared from his arm.
"What the…" Natsu hissed.
"So they were right," he looked impressed by his own arm. "A dragonslayer. This arm was very hard to create in such a short time. Even father was impressed."
"Create?" Natsu asked.
He nodded, "I hate rushing, but luckily I had a spare arm lying around. Anyways, let's begin if you won't retreat."
Natsu-san and Lucy-san ran at Z3, full speed. I enhanced their movements by double. Carla and Happy flew above us, ready to pull us out if needed. Lucy-san called upon Virgo-san, who sent chains towards the man.
"Hmph," Z3 sighed. "Such a pain. Celestial mages are the most annoying."
"Hey!" Lucy-san yelled. "Says who!"
He broke Virgo's chain with his butcher knife and took out a vial, pouring the contents onto Virgo, "Me, because each one requires a different formula."
Virgo-san poofed back into her key.
"What the-" Lucy-san pulled out Taurus.
I sent a whirl of wind towards Z3, who blocked it with a ax kick. Natsu-san and Lucy-san charged at him from both sides. Z3 grabbed Natsu-san's flaming hand, putting out the fire, and threw another vial onto Taurus. This time, Lucy-san called upon Cancer.
"What is this stuff?" Lucy-san growled in frustration.
Natsu-san inhaled, ready for a Fire Dragon's Roar, "I'm not sure."
He blew a huge ball at Z3, who blocked with his fireproof hand.
"You have a good arm there," Z3 examined Natsu-san's arm, "mind if I take it?"
He tried to rip off Natsu-san's arm, but was only able to cut Natsu-san before Happy pulled Natsu-san back. Z3 took out an empty vial and dropped Natsu's blood into it. In that time, Natsu-san and Happy were able to close in on Z3, punching into his chest. Natsu-san's hand ended up ripping through Z3's flesh and out through his back.
"Ah!" Lucy-san jumped back next to me.
Natsu-san seemed frazzled by what had happened, "What the…"
"Don't sweat it," Z3 continued to move as if nothing had happened. "I know you guys are all against the killing thing but you have no chance against me."
Natsu-san took out his arm and ran back to us.
"This is too boring," Z3 complained. "Let's make this more fun."
He dug through his bag and took out another glass tube. He smashed it against the floor, sending a rotten smell into the air.
Lucy's P.O.V -
I coughed violently as the smoke entered my lungs. I felt someone grab onto my hand.
"Natsu?" I asked as it tugged me through the fog.
My vision was blurry. The thump of something falling onto the floor sounded next to me. I could feel my eyelids close, heavy from exhaustion. I swayed as the hand guided me through the fog. Eventually we made it out, only for me to see that it wasn't Natsu holding me, but Z3. I tried to pull out of his grasp, but failed. He smiled as he opened a bottle and blew the smoke towards my face. This one was stronger than the other. It only took a few seconds for the world around me to turn black.
Before I was completely out, I could feel his arms wrapping around my waist and legs. He carried me from the floor and began to walk.
"N-Nat...su," I barely managed to whisper.
Z3 chuckled, "Don't worry. I won't hurt you. At least not now."
I fell asleep.
Natsu's P.O.V. -
I covered my nose and shook Wendy. She had fallen to the floor, unconscious. I could feel the smoke taking a toll on me too. Just then, I heard a small, frail voice.
"Natsu?" Lucy called.
I frantically scrambled up and began to follow her voice. My sense of smell and sight was useless. Just as I saw two silhouettes, Z3 threw another smoke bomb in our direction. The smog was thicker and much more effective than the other. I fell the the floor, trying to crawl my way towards them.
"Lucy!" I wheezed from the smoke. "*cough cough*"
"Nat….su," she said as Z3 picked her up and began to walk away.
"No!" I growled.
My body slowly began to relax and go numb. I couldn't move.
"Come on," I moaned as I saw him take her away. "No no no please no."
Eventually, I fell into a deep slumber full of anger.
Mystery P.O.V. -
"Z3 took care of them?"
"Yes, he did just as you said. He avoided major battle and took the blond girl."
"Good, that'll pull out the darkness inside of them. Make sure Z3 treats our guest very well."
"Yes, father."
"I'd like you to inform V that I want her to target the Hikari girl and the Gray boy in that last group before we send out the hounds."
"As you wish, father."
"Make sure to collect as much information as you can,"
"Yes, father."
Both people are staring at a large screen, showing all the Fairy Tail members and their location.
"I don't want any of them to find each other tonight. Each group should be on their own. Eventually, all of them should be separated."
"Consider it done, father."
"Good girl."
"Thank you...father."