A/N: Thank you all so much for the amazing initial response! You've been lovely. It's always the kiss of death to update so early, but I couldn't stop myself. Please keep me accountable in the future, since starting VERY soon, I really have no idea where this is going. But until then, fuckle the buck up, cause things are about to get heavy.
Part II: Ripple Effect
The next morning, Lucy awoke to a world of flames and smoke.
A shrill beeping sound jostled her out of sleep, and she rubbed her swollen eyes. It was only after several seconds that she realized that her smoke alarm was the thing making the horrible shrieking sound, and she was immediately awake, streaking across her apartment in a flurry of blonde hair and baggy sweatpants.
She barreled into the kitchen, where the smoke was thickest, and saw red that had nothing to do with the flames licking her cabinets.
"Natsu! I'm going to strangle you!"
Natsu stood in the kitchen, a 1000-watt smile taking up half his face. "Hey, Luce! I'm cooking breakfast!"
She could feel the vein in her forehead pulsing. It was a miracle she hadn't been diagnosed with high blood pressure after a year's worth of these antics, but she was sure that this would put her over the edge. She'd make sure to send him her medical bill.
"You're destroying my house, is what you're doing! Put out the fire right now or I swear to the First Master I will end you," she threatened, her voice growing quieter with every word. Natsu's eyes widened at her wrath.
"Natsu, run! It's scary Lucy this morning!" Happy screamed as Lucy advanced on them.
Not sticking around to face her wrath, Natsu dove out the nearest window, Happy snapping him up before he hit the ground. She didn't stick around to see which direction they flew off—only summoned Loke to help her smother the flames with her bedsheets.
"Why didn't you summon Aquarius, Princess? It seems like she would be better suited to this sort of thing."
Lucy scoffed. "And risk the whole building being destroyed when she realized I called her to clean up after my friends? Not a chance. Still," she huffed as they threw the heavy blankets over the stove, "Natsu better watch himself. These were expensive and I don't exactly money to throw around these days."
"Fear not, Princess," a voice spoke, materializing from a shower of light in the form of Virgo, "I bring gifts from the Spirit World. I have taken the liberty of placing new bedding in your quarters."
"Thank you so much, Virgo! I can't tell you how much that means to me." Her shoulders sagged in relief as she mentally added back the thousands of Jewel to her savings.
"Anything for you. Shall I be punished today, then?" Virgo asked in her lilting monotone.
"You had to go and ruin a sweet gesture by being weird," Lucy sighed. "I guess I shouldn't have expected anything less. You know I'm not going to punish you."
Virgo shrugged. "Then I shall take my leave. Feel free to summon me at your will, Princess." The spirit didn't wait for a farewell, disappearing as soon as she had appeared.
"One of these days you're going to break down and give the poor girl what she wants. A harsh word and she would be on cloud nine for the next millennium," Loke quipped, dusting imaginary dirt from his suit jacket. "Or, you know, you can always just punish me and make my millennium," he said with a sly wink.
"Ugh! Go away. It's too early to deal with this."
Loke's laughter lingered behind him as he closed his own gate.
Not wanting to stay in her apartment and stare at her newly scorched kitchen, Lucy quickly readied herself for the day, intent on improving her day.
Hours later, as Lucy wiped nachos from her new silk top—the product of an impromptu guild food fight—she decided that she should have stayed home after all, especially after having denied Virgo's offer of clothes. Having worn Virgo's peculiar taste in fashion on too many emergency occasions, she would rather remain covered in beans and cheese than surrender her last shred of dignity today.
"It's not that bad," Mira cooed, accepting the soiled rag from Lucy as she finished trying to salvage her shirt. "You can barely see the stain!"
Lucy levied her a stern look. "You're a terrible liar."
"Okay, maybe you can see it a little, but it could be worse!"
"What could be worse?" a voice said from behind her, startling her enough to jump and knock an empty water glass off the bar, sending it shattering into a thousand tiny crystals on the floor.
"Woah, Cosplayer, I thought we were past the fear stage. You good?" Bickslow asked with a laugh.
"Maybe we can be past it when you stop trying to give me a heart attack!" Lucy yelled, whipping around to look at her guildmate.
"Sure, sure," he waved his hand in a dismissal. "Anyway, I just wanted to get a last check on our mission paperwork. Did Master approve it yet?" His visored gaze shifted towards Mira.
"Yep!" She chirped, making her way around the bar with a dustpan. "He signed off on it yesterday afternoon. I didn't get a chance to tell you with how busy it got last night."
"No worries. Just wanted confirmation before we head out. You know how Laxus gets."
Mira hummed a noncommittal sound, batting Lucy's hands away as she tried to help sweep up the shards of glass from the floor. With a sigh, Lucy gave up, looking back at Bickslow, her brows furrowing.
"Where are you guys going the day after the rager last night?"
"We're heading out west," the seith mage answered. "Routine monster hunt. Some middle-of-nowhere village wants a cave system cleared out so they can use it for storage. No biggie, but Boss Man still wanted to make sure everything was signed before we head out. The rest of the gang is waiting at the train station with our bags, so I shouldn't stay too much longer."
Lucy nodded, fighting the unfamiliar pang of disappointment at his words.
"When will you guys be back?" She asked
"Why you want to know? Got some unfinished business, Lucy?" He asked, his tongue lolling out of his mouth as he teased her.
"I just figured I would let Cana know," she explained, cringing at how lame she sounded.
"Don't worry yourself. Cana and I spent all last night saying goodbye, if you catch my drift." Though Bickslow's eyes were covered by his helmet, she could feel the force of his salacious wink.
"Okay, eww. I didn't need the mental image, thanks."
"You sure? I promise it's a good one." He laughed. "But we should be back within the week. We aren't expecting much resistance."
Wringing her hands together, she fought down the urge to question him more. "Just be careful. You never know what could happen out there."
He smiled at her—all semblance of joking melting from his features. "Always am. Seriously, Luce, don't worry. We'll be fine."
She sighed, deciding it was the best she was going to get. "Good luck, then. And tell the others the same."
"Will do," he saluted her. After saying his goodbyes to the two women, Bickslow sauntered out of the guild. "By the way, interesting choice of fashion today, Luce! Not quite sure you pull off nachos," he called over his shoulder. The sounds of his cackling soon faded.
Not having the energy to summon indignance at his comment, Lucy simply let herself stare for several seconds at the heavy wooden doors that had swallowed Bickslow. She fought back the pit in her stomach his parting assurances had caused, and slowly Lucy turned her attention back to Mira, who had finished cleaning up and was looking at her with a knowing smile.
"They'll be fine, you know," Mira said, "The Thunder Legion are consummate professionals. They know what they're doing."
"I know!" Lucy was quick to respond, voice going high in defense. "I'm not worried!"
"Okay," Mira said, "But if you were, I'd tell you that it's normal."
Lucy frowned at her friend. "I'm not sure what you mean."
Mira only continued to smile.
Despite Lucy's hopes and Mira's encouragement, the rest of the week did not get better. Starting that evening, rain became a constant presence. Not even having the courage to storm, the weather became a ceaseless drizzle that made Lucy's hair frizzy and gave her chills. On Wednesday, the underwire to her favorite bra finally gave out and she'd had to replace it, eating even further into her savings. The one job she went on with the team ended in astounding failure, with Natsu and Gray getting into a fight while taking out a mage specializing in Hypnotism magic and subsequently unleashing the full force of their magic on a residential area of Shirotsume. They'd had to surrender their reward plus interest in order to pay for the damages.
Not willing to lose her apartment over their shenanigans, she'd pulled double duty on solo missions since then. She'd dogsat for a local family's shapeshifting dog, which had decided to turn into a guinea pig and escape from the property. Luckily, she'd managed to catch it without incident, but not before ending up face-first in a mud puddle. She'd been a personal shopper to what was probably the pickiest old man in all of Fiore, having run in and out of seven different tailor's shops in search of a velvet waistcoat, only to end up circling back to the first option at the end of a grueling day. By the end of the week, she'd managed to scrounge enough funds together to keep her apartment for another month, but the lack of sleep caught up with her on Friday, and she fell into her bed wearing her street clothes.
The sun woke her on Saturday, streaming in warm rays through her window. She had a crick in her neck and was stiff from falling asleep without changing into pajamas, but seeing the sun after a week of rain made her smile regardless. Clambering out of bed, she stretched, thinking that the sun must be a good omen. She took comfort in the fact that pretty much anything would be better than the past week. Summoning Horologium, she was shocked that it was nearly noon. She smiled. It was the first time in a while she'd managed to sleep uninterrupted for more than a few hours, whether by her own restlessness or intrusive team members. She forgot how good it felt to sleep in.
She dressed in her favorite outfit: the white and blue vest with the matching skirt. Buckling on her belt and slipping on her comfiest boots, she skipped all the way to the guild, refusing to let anything ruin her good mood.
Bursting through the doors, she greeted everyone with a smile. Gliding over to the bar, she ordered a strawberry smoothie from Mira to treat herself.
"You're looking perky this morning," Mira remarked as she slid the pink concoction over the bar top.
"It's going to be a good day. I can feel it," Lucy said, smiling. She took a long pull from the curly straw stuck in the shake, her eyes rolling to the back of her head.
"Mira, you're amazing," she told her, pushing the straw to the side so she could take larger sips straight from the glass. Mira laughed at her, shaking her head.
"It's good to see you in such a good mood. You've been so gloomy lately."
Lucy groaned. "Tell me about it. All week, I felt like I couldn't catch a break. I seriously thought I'd have to ask Levy if I could bunk with her for a few weeks. That's how close I came to not being able to pay my rent."
Mira stretched out a hand to rest on her shoulder, patting it. "Well, it's over now. The weekend means a clean slate. It can only go up from here."
Smiling, Lucy raised her glass. "I'll drink to that!"
"What are we toasting to?" Cana shouted from a table across the way. Mira and Lucy exchanged a knowing look and dissolved into simultaneous fits of giggles.
"Nothing," Mira said, her hands over her mouth.
Cana shrugged. "Good enough for me," she said, raising a huge tankard of ale to her lips.
Lucy recovered first. "It's nice to know that some things will never change."
Raising a pale eyebrow, Mira smirked. "Are you saying Cana's alcoholism is comforting?"
Lucy's eyes widened. "What? No! That's not what I meant, and you know it!" She waved her hands in front of her.
Mira's smirk waned as she tried to stifle laughter. "Sorry, Lucy. You make it too easy."
Glaring, Lucy raised her milkshake to her lips again, finishing it in one drag. Wiping her mouth, she stuck her tongue out at the barmaid. "I see how it is."
"Actually," she said, looking around the guild hall after a moment, "where is Natsu? I figured he'd be here. I know Gray and Erza had a job lined up, but it's not like him to not be causing trouble this late in the day."
"He was in earlier. Lisanna went fishing with him and Happy. They'll probably be out a while. It's been a slow day. Even Master's gone out to enjoy the sunshine."
She nodded. "It's nice that he's finally stopped dragging his feet with that."
Mira grimaced, a line forming between her eyebrows. "Eh," she said, "I wouldn't go that far. I love him to death, but the poor boy is denser than a rock." Her hands came up to her temples, massaging them in small circles. "Lisanna has more patience than anyone I know."
"Honestly, I wish she'd just give him a good kick in the right direction. Maybe then he'd stop crashing at my place and I could keep my fridge stocked for more than two days."
The two girls commiserated in silence, before the doors to the guild hall flew off their hinges and into the empty tables on the main floor. Lucy could only watch, frozen into perfect stillness at the sight before her while the guild gave way to chaos.
Evergreen came in first, the one to have caved the entrance in. Elfman shouted at her about being manly, but his salutation was cut short when he saw the shiny tear tracks dripping down her face, her mascara running in inky trails.
The shouts of her guild mates, Cana and Mira's horror-filled faces, it all faded to the fringes of her consciousness as she took in what followed her: the picture of Bickslow and Freed struggling to carry an unconscious Laxus into the building.
"Please, he needs Miss Marvell's services," Freed called, sounding on the verge of tears. "It's urgent."
"Tell us she's around." Lucy couldn't remember Bickslow ever sounding so serious. He had his helmet pulled over face, but she could imagine the wild look in the crimson eyes. She idly noticed Jet sprint out the doors, most likely to go get Wendy, but Lucy was preoccupied with the man being supported by his teammates.
His head lolled forward, the heavy fringe of his hair obscuring his face from view. However, she was almost glad for it when she saw the rest of him. His shirt had been torn at one of the shoulders, and along the long ropes of muscle, his veins stood out in stark contrast, deep black lines crawling just beneath the skin, as if he'd been injected with ink. The lines crept up his arm and disappeared beneath the purple fabric of his shirt. Suddenly, it was very hard to draw air into her lungs. This was Laxus. Laxus was Laxus. Aside from Gildarts, he was the strongest member of Fairy Tail. He was indestructible. He'd gone toe-to-toe with dark guild masters, monsters, and dragons, and always rose up victorious. This couldn't be happening.
Except it was.
Everything happened in slow motion, drained of all sound and color. Freed and Bickslow half-carried, half-dragged Laxus to the infirmary, and the door closed behind them with a resounding thud. Evergreen, who'd managed to make it into Elfman's arms before collapsing, sobbed into his chest as he stroked her hair.
The sound of her cries snapped Lucy out of her stupor, and she shot out of her seat, ignoring Mira's confused shout. Before she was aware of it, she'd pushed open the door to the infirmary and witnessed hell.
Freed and Bickslow weren't waiting for Wendy. They'd stripped Laxus of his shirt, and she stifled a gag as she saw that the veins covered nearly his whole chest, crawling up his neck and the side of his face. Freed had a pile of ripped sheets at his side, some of them already stained red from a wound on Laxus' side that she hadn't noticed before. They moved methodically, without speaking, and Lucy couldn't contain her gasps when she saw that they were using the spare strips of fabric to bind their leader's hands and legs to the posts of the infirmary bed.
"What—what are you doing? Stop it!" she cried, running further into the room to grab hold of Bickslow's arms.
He shrugged her off. "We don't have time for this, Lucy. Get out. You don't need to see this."
"Not until you stop tying him up. He's your friend and you're hurting him!"
He wheeled on her then, and his razed visor gave her a look at his eyes, burning with fury. In that moment, she feared that he'd hit her.
"Damn right he's my friend. And if you give even a single shit about him, you'll let us save his fucking life. Now either help or get the hell out of our way."
Her heart beat out a hummingbird's rhythm, having never been as terrified of Bickslow as she was in that moment. She could only watch in silence as they continued their ministrations, forcing down the urge to try and stop them against as they restrained Laxus. She shuffled to the foot of the bed to get a better look when Laxus groaned.
"Oh no," Freed said, his one visible eye widening. "It's happening again. Move faster, Bickslow."
"What do you mean? He's regaining consciousness!" she said, leaning closer.
It was Freed's turn to glare at her, and she fell silent. Quickly, they finished tying their knots and then backed away, joining her at the foot of the bed. As Laxus stirred, she tried to move closer, only to have the two men restrain her and none too gently move her back another several paces.
"What? Let me go!" she struggled against Bickslow's iron grip on her wrist.
He didn't say anything, but his hold tightened.
"She shouldn't be here," Freed muttered over her head.
"Evergreen is busy keeping everyone else out. We'll need help if this gets rough," Bickslow murmured back.
Laxus' moaning intensified, and he began to pull at his restraints, muscles pulling taught underneath the skin. After several seconds, the contractions intensified. Then, with an earth-shattering snarl, he began to thrash with convulsions. Sparks shot from his body, and the two men at Lucy's side pushed her down to shield her from the output.
She closed her eyes against the light, powerless to do anything but hide her face into Freed's overcoat. The electricity in the room drew all the hair on her arms straight up, and the logical part of her brain wondered if they'd all be fried in this little room, completely unable to help Laxus. However, after another few moments, the light died down, and she was able to open her eyes, blinking away the tendril-like afterimages imprinted on her eyelids.
Freed and Bickslow wasted no time hauling her up, releasing her without another word. They moved in concert once more, undoing Laxus's restraints and turning him on his side as he still rocked with aftershocks of his seizure. She stood frozen in place as Bickslow wiped back fluid that frothed from Laxus's mouth while Freed dressed the wound on his side. After several more seconds of taking them in, she pushed down her worry, trying to shift into the headspace needed to be the least bit useful.
Shaking her head a few times, she walked to Freed's side and took a handful of bandages. He paid her no attention as she went to the sink, grabbing a washbasin and filling it with water. Returning to the bedside, she began dipping the bandages in water and wringing them out the best she could. It wasn't much, but she was determined to do something other than gawk at Laxus like he was some sort of science experiment.
"Here," she nudged Freed with her elbow, holding out the damp cloth to him. "This will help clean the wound better. If you've staunched the bleeding, you don't want it getting infected."
He nodded, and took the piece of fabric from her, dabbing at the ragged wound in Laxus' side. It wasn't large, but it was ghastly, a crusted hole just under his ribcage covered in thick black fluid and clotted blood. Maybe she'd spoken too soon. It already seemed to be infected.
She bit back any questions, knowing they'd fall on deaf ears. Now that she was thinking more rationally, she realized that Freed and Bickslow wouldn't take their attention off Laxus for anyone or anything until they were sure he was taken care of. Bickslow's reaction didn't seem so violent anymore. Her respect for them grew.
The door slammed open, and Wendy ran in, pushing past Bickslow like she was twice his size and not the other way around. She drew in a breath, and then she was all business, her face clear of all emotion. There was no trace of the clumsy twelve-year-old girl on her face. This was the face of person about to take someone's life into her hands.
"I'll need space to work. Sorry to ask this of you all, but it's best if you leave for now. Porlyusica will be here soon and she works best with as small of an audience as possible."
She paid them no more attention as she went to work turning Laxus back onto his back, closing her eyes as she extended her hands over him. Lucy's breath hitched as she began to glow with a pale blue aura, but a light touch on her elbow diverted her attention. She looked back at Freed, who gestured to the door with his head. Nodding, she followed him and Bickslow through the door.
Stepping through the door erased the sense of calm she'd slipped into. Tears rose to her eyes, and she covered her mouth to mask the sobs that came unbidden from her mouth. Mira came forward and enveloped her into a hug, rocking her back and forth as she rubbed her back in soothing circles.
"Shh," she said. "It will be alright. He's in good hands. Wendy won't let anything happen to him." Her assurances, normally so comforting, sounded hollow.
Lucy pulled herself from the embrace with a raw, gasping breath. "I'm sorry. I don't know why…I mean I know why, but I'm sorry," she turned to face the Thunder Legion, Evergreen still wiping the tears away from her face and Freed, who now let some of his fall. Bickslow, his visor back in place, shook about the shoulders, shaking off Cana's attempts to comfort him. "I didn't know," she began again. "It wasn't my place and…I don't know what came over me. I'm so sorry," she sniffed, unable to convey how she felt about intruding on their attempts to save Laxus' life. What was he to her aside from a fellow guild mate? She'd barged into a life or death situation without a hint of respect, and the few seconds of distraction on Freed or Bicklow's part could have cost him his life.
To her surprise, Freed came forward and laid a hand on her shoulder. She hung her head, unable to meet his gaze.
"It's alright, Lucy," he told her in a tight voice, obviously trying to control his own tears. "You were trying your best, too. It means a lot that someone else would care so much for Laxus. Don't blame yourself." He retracted his hand, and when she looked up, she saw no judgment in his red-rimmed eyes.
Bickslow and Evergreen nodded from his sides.
"Will…will he be alright?" Lucy asked in a small voice, desperate to know yet afraid of what the answer might be.
Evergreen's face contorted into another silent sob, and she turned around to wipe at her eyes again. When she'd composed herself, she turned back around and coughed once.
"That depends on Wendy," she whispered, her eyes haunted behind the wire frames of her glasses. "Laxus is strong, so we shouldn't lose hope, but," she stuttered and took a few shambling breaths, "he's gone almost a full day like that. Each seizure has only gotten more powerful. We weren't sure how long he could fight."
For a moment, no one spoke.
After several tense moments, Elfman asked the question everyone was too afraid to.
"What happened out there?"
This time, it was Freed who crumpled, and Bickslow had to catch him before he hit the floor.
"Come on, man. It's alright. You know how Laxus is," he grunted, his voice raw. "Always playing the hero. It could have happened to any one of us."
"But it happened to me!" Freed yelled, thrashing in Bickslow's hold. "And if Laxus dies, it will be my fault! I was weak, and he's paying the price. It should be me in there dying, not him!"
Mira gasped, tears welling in her eyes. Freed was inconsolable, sobbing so hard he gagged. Evergreen sank down to him, and he allowed her to wrap her arms around him. They cried together for a long while, her stroking his hair. It reminded Lucy of how her own mother used to comfort her when she was upset.
"It's my fault, Ever," he whispered into her shoulder.
"Stop that," she cooed through her own tears. "Laxus would hate to hear you blaming yourself. He knew what he was getting into. Don't let what he did be in vain."
"But if I had just been stronger. If I'd been paying better attention," he said, tightening her grip on her.
"Don't say shit like that," Bickslow told him. "Shitty stuff happens, and if you think we're going sit here and blame you so you can feel better about what happened, then you're in for a long wait."
Freed fell silent then, his sobs quieting into occasional wet hiccups. Evergreen held him until his back stopped its violent shaking, and when he finished, she pulled back with a watery smile, moving the hair out of his face. Wiping his face with a handkerchief, Freed accepted Bickslow's offered hand and stood, straightening his cravat. He cleared his throat.
"I think we should let them know exactly what happened," he stated in a thick voice. "Then we can decide where the blame lies."
Evergreen grimaced but didn't contradict him.
"The job was more complicated than we anticipating," he began, his words measured. "The job description didn't state what species of monster we'd be exterminating from the caves, so we automatically assumed it would be a rather common vulcan infestation or something equally simple."
He took a deep breath, straightening his shoulders. "It was naïve to believe so. We spent several days doing reconnaissance, to no avail. Then, early this morning, we found our quarry. Only it wasn't vulcans. It was nest of serkets. A whole host of them,"
It was Lucy's turn to gasp. Serkets. No wonder Laxus was in such critical condition. A normal mage would already be long dead. It was a testament to Laxus' strength that he was still fighting against the poison of Earthland's most deadly scorpion. Lucy had never seen one in person, but she'd heard the horror stories. Scorpions the size of horses, with enough venom in one sting to kill a dragon. All the symptoms made sense now. The wound in his side from the stinger, the poison flowing through his blood stream. It also explained the violent convulsions.
"We tried to be careful. I laid down runes to trap them in while Evergreen and Laxus did the majority of the extermination. I was so focused on maintaining the barriers that I didn't notice that I'd missed one. By the time I turned around, it was already too late. I knew it was over. I couldn't even close my eyes." He shut his eyes, reliving the moment.
"But somehow Laxus was there. He moved so quickly. Faster than I've ever seen," he whispered, staring straight ahead. "He saved my life. I'd be dead by now if it weren't for him. He took the hit meant for me, and if he dies, it will be because of my carelessness."
Lucy didn't have to guess how Freed must feel. She'd felt like the weak link on her own team more times than she could count, but not once had Erza, Natsu, or Gray ever let her dwell. If Laxus did succumb to the serket venom…the thought alone made her heart drop to her stomach. She pushed it down. She had to keep believing Laxus would pull through, for reasons she would investigate later. But Freed had to know the truth.
"You're wrong," she said, and the Thunder Legion looked at her. She shuffled her feet, wandering if she was speaking out of turn. But she hadn't let that stop her before, so she went on. "Laxus would do it again in a heartbeat. And he wouldn't blame you. You guys are closer to him than anyone else. Laxus doesn't say much, but you just have to look at you guys together to know how much he cares for all of you. He wouldn't want it to be any other way."
"You don't have to try to make me feel better, Lucy," Freed said.
"I'm not! I'm telling the truth, so get it through your thick head!" she yelled, taking a step towards him. His eyes widened as she pointed at him.
"Laxus fights for his family. That consumes who he is. I'll admit, I was just as nervous as the next person when he came back to the guild, but you all looked so happy, I figured there must be something about him that would make you all miss him so much. And during the Games, I found out why. I watched him fight Raven Tail, I watched him break through what would kill any normal mage, and he did it without breaking a sweat. I watched him throw Flare across the arena, and he did it for me!" she breathed out, poking Freed squarely in the chest, the memory of that day crystallizing in her mind. "He barely even knew me, and he did that. So why would you question his loyalty to you? Why would you blame yourself for something he did willingly, and would do again? Laxus wouldn't be Laxus if he hadn't done it."
She dropped her hand, feeling her heartbeat slow.
"So I know he'll pull through. Laxus is stronger than a Wizard Saint. He won't let something like this beat him. I can feel it," she said, her voice hard, willing Freed to hear the truth in her voice. To hear how much she believed. She wasn't prepared to be surrounded on all sides within seconds of finishing her passionate speech, but that was exactly what happened. The Thunder Legion encased her in the tightest hug she'd ever experienced, and she struggled to breath.
"You're right, Lucy. I shouldn't have been so thoughtless," Freed said from her right.
"I didn't really say anything that Evergreen and Bicks didn't already, so," she wheezed, and they let her go so she could breathe properly. Evergreen and Freed looked bashful, but Bickslow just smiled.
"Even so, thank you for reminding me to have faith in Laxus. I should have known better."
"If you can believe that Laxus can pull through, then we should, too," Evergreen agreed, looking hopeful for the first time since she'd blown the doors off the guild hall.
After that, Mira convinced everyone to have a seat, and they did their best to keep the conversation light, though every creak of a door had heads shooting up to the infirmary entrance, only to be met with disappointment.
Half an hour later, Porlyusica came in without a word, stomping through the infirmary door. No one dared follow her. Master ran through the door ten minutes after that, disappearing behind the same door only to be thrown out seconds later. The old man suddenly looked his age, the youthful spark in his eyes extinguished. In an attempt to soothe him, Mira allowed him to rest his head in her lap as she sat. It was a testament to his concern that he laid there silently, without even a hint of a suggestive comment. Another hour passed before Porlyusica emerged from the infirmary, walking up to the vigil that had formed in the center of the room. Master shot out of Mira's lap, but no one dared say anything.
She cleared her throat, glaring. "Not that it matters, but if it hadn't been for Wendy, you'd all have an actual reason to be acting like someone died." Her scowl intensified as she took in the devastated faces looking back at her.
"As it stands, you can suck it up. Laxus will live. Wendy will still need to treat him periodically, but I see no reason why he won't be back to being an annoyance to you all soon enough."
The guild immediately burst into cheers of relief, only for Porlyusica to shush them. "That means he need to rest, damn it! But by all means, ruin his progress by making a racket."
That quieted the crowd, but the elated smiles on the Thunder Legions faces, and the happy tears in Master's eyes didn't subside.
Porlyusica rolled her eyes and turned on her heels, marching out of the guild hall, grumbling to herself about annoying, foul humans all the while.
Lucy's cheeks hurt from smiling so much. She celebrated quietly in her seat, the relief making her feel the closest she'd ever been to being high.
"Did Aunt Porly leave?" a small voice called from the doorway. Lucy turned and smiled. Wendy rubbed at her eyes, once again the child they all knew.
"Yeah, she did," she said, standing and walking over to her. The girl swayed on her feet, and Lucy brought her closer, supporting her as they walked back to the others. The Thunder Legion took turns hugging her, showering her with thanks, and she smiled tiredly back at them.
"Come here, child," Master said, patting the seat next to him. She stumbled over to it, exhausted.
"I can't begin to thank you for what you've done today, but if you ever want for anything, all you have to do is ask for it," he said, tears in his eyes.
"I don't need anything, Master. I did what anyone would do," she said, smiling.
"And that's why we're all so grateful for you, my dear," he told her. "Not everyone would feel that way."
She shrugged. "I'm just glad I could do it." She frowned then, shifting her weight on the bench seat. "It was a close call," she admitted, pursing her lips. "I thought I might lose him a few times, but each time, he managed to pull through. Laxus is really amazing," she smiled, then. "It's not every day you find someone with such an intense will to live."
Evergreen laughed. "I'm not surprised. Laxus is the most pigheaded person I've ever met. It wouldn't matter what it was, he'd refuse to die on principal."
Lucy laughed with her. It was nice to be able to crack jokes again, knowing he'd pull through.
"He's not conscious, but it's probably best if he stays that way. I couldn't get all the venom out of system without doing more harm than good, so it'll take some time for his body to take care of it all. Until then, he needs rest. I healed where the barb went into his side, but it'll scar."
Master nodded at her side, his face impassive once more. "Wendy, she said he'll live, but will he be…the same?"
Wendy sighed. "I don't know, Master. If I'm being honest, I've never heard of anyone surviving a serket sting long enough to get treatment. It's all really up to Laxus now," she frowned again, pulling one of her long pigtails over her shoulder and stroking it. "I wish I could be more helpful."
Master patted her head with a broken smile. "Nonsense. You saved his life. That's all we can ask for. Anything else is greed."
Lucy understood what he didn't say, though. Laxus was in his prime. No one wanted to contemplate a world where he couldn't go on jobs. She thought Laxus might have rather chosen death over being unable to use his magic. She shook her head to clear the dark thoughts, resolving to remain optimistic. Laxus would recover. He would. Worrying about the worst case scenario wouldn't help anyone.
"When can he have visitors?" she asked to distract herself.
Wendy turned to her, blinking slowly. "If it's in small groups, I don't see why you guys can't go visit. Just try not to disturb him."
The Thunder Legion didn't wait around. They rose from their seats, with Freed sharing a look with Master before the older man waved them on. Evergreen dropped a kiss to the top of Elfman's head as she turned to go. They filed through the door without a word, and Freed shut it softly behind him.
Slowly, the vigil dispersed. Master trekked upstairs to his office, saying that he'd have time with Laxus after his team had a chance to visit. Cana went back to nursing her tankard of ale, the mood lifted enough for her to drink once again. Elfman carried a now-sleeping Wendy over to a more comfortable spot, smiling over the tiny girl. Feeling awkward, Lucy elected to follow Mira back to the bar.
She slid onto a stool after Mira refused to let her help behind the counter. "So much for this being a good day," she said, blowing her bangs out of her face. She laid her head onto the counter top, feeling its coolness against her cheek. If she just closed her eyes, she bet that she could fall asleep like this, but knew if she did, images of Laxus thrashing in pain would appear behind her eyelids. The day had been the closest thing to a living nightmare she'd had in quite some time, and it wasn't even over yet.
Something cold poked at her head. Looking up, she saw Mira holding another milkshake out to her. "Here," she said. "The sugar will keep you from going into shock. You look a little keyed up, and we don't need someone else in the infirmary today."
She smiled. "Thanks, Mira."
The time passed slowly. Lucy hung out in the guild, not having anything to do but not wanting to leave. The Thunder Legion switched places with Master after a while, and she grew antsier with every tick of the clock, even though they said he'd only been sleeping. She felt silly for being so concerned. Surely she didn't have the right to feel so invested in this? Her interactions with Laxus could be summed up to a few dances and some harmless banter. It felt wrong to feel so…moved by this ordeal. But she was. She wished she could go into the infirmary and see the evidence of Laxus' survival for herself. She wanted it more than she felt comfortable admitting to herself.
Regardless, she watched the door like a hawk, on the edge of her seat. When Master emerged, he gifted her with a small smile and gestured to the door with a nod of his head. Eyes widening, she pointed to herself, not sure if he meant for her to go in. His smile widened and he nodded. With shaky legs, she stood and made her way to the door. Master gave her a reassuring pat on the leg as he walked past her, and she drew in a breath, preparing herself to see Laxus once more.
A/N: How can I have a LaLu story with no Laxus, you ask? Very carefully, I say to you. But all jokes aside, I hope you stick with the story and continue to give me your thoughts! Extra credit for anyone who knows the origins of the serket!
Much love to everyone!