Hey readers. Hope you're all doing great. Welcome to another chapter of FNT. I hope you're all enjoying. Cause I am too. Anyways…
Enjoy!
"LIC, what is that?" Levy asked while going through several files, "There's nothing about it on here."
"Whatever it is, is sure is causing a lot of trouble," Gildarts responded while groaning, "I wonder how someone like Macao got access to such power."
The door to the lab slid open revealing Mira wearing Laxus' jacket draped over her shoulders, "Good evening."
"Mira, it's late. What are you doing out here," Erza asked the She-Devil.
"I was out on the roof but it got too cold out and I decided to come in," she responded, "What's the latest?"
"The strange magic seems to be linked with a group called the LIC," Erza said while looking through a stack of files.
"We need to do more research on it, but how" Gildarts asked.
"Gildarts, you said you knew the man who attacked you earlier this evening correct?" Levy started as the older man nodded in response, "I assume you know where he lives?" her question was responded to by another nod, "We need to send in spies to his location. We could uncover more information about the matter if we do some eavesdropping."
"That sounds like a great idea though risky," Mirajane said, "But who would be willing to do that?"
"I know the best people to do it."
"I don't wanna eat my vegetables," Wendy muttered in her sleep as she turned. the moon shone brightly into her room as she soundly slept next to her exceed partner. However, she was unaware of the dark figure looming over her as she slept. Its sharp canines revealed as it grinned wildly.
It walked over to the side of the bed and slowly removed her covers and slipped its arms under her sleeping body; lifting her bridal style.
'So cold, why is it so cold?' Wendy thought as she noticed the change in environment though her eyes were still closed, 'this isn't my bed' the surface beneath her felt like hard concrete instead of soft sheets, 'Where am I?'
Her eyes shot open and darted all around her. It took a while for her to calm down when she realised she was on the roof at night, "How did I get here?" she asked herself before deciding to walk further on the roof until she Natsu and Gajeel sparring near the roof's edge. They looked cool, "Wow."
"I'm glad you're awake," a deep voice startled her from behind, "Laxus, what are you doing here and do you know why I'm on the roof?"
"I had Natsu take you from your room so that we could get started on some training," Laxus said before rolling his eyes, "He took much longer than expected."
"I had to make some stops before I got to her!" Natsu yelled from his position.
FLASHBACK
"Which one is her room?" Natsu asked himself as he scratched his head and walked into a room where he found Cana who was probably passed out from all the drinking. He looked to the side of her bed and noticed her discarded clothes, "Sleeping in the nude huh, now there's a fire in my pants," he whispered as steam seeped through his nostrils.
"Dammit it's too hot," Cana muttered before throwing off her sheets completely exposing her body.
"A squeeze wouldn't hurt right?" Natsu asked himself as his hand reached forward but froze in place when he knocked over a vase at her bedside and it wasn't with his hands, "Get back to sleep!" he said while panicking as Cana started to stir.
"What the?" she started while opening her eyes and noticing Natsu with his hand towards her, "Pervert! Get the heck out!" she yelled while kneeing him in the nether regions and kicking him out."
END OF FLASHBACK
"I haven't felt so much pain in a long time but it was worth it," he said while blushing.
"Away from the awkward conversation," Laxus started, "I brought you up here to train you."
"I'm ready sensei," Wendy said with eagerness.
"The first test will examine your senses. I have hidden five objects on the roof. Identify them with your nose," Laxus ordered with his hands stuffed into his pockets.
"By smell?" she asked as the older males simply maintained silence. She was going to do it if she needed to progress.
Closing her eyes, Wendy took in the several scents around her. So many sent signals to her brain. She picked out several objects but was finally able to pin point five, "The first one is a bottle of bad cologne," she said while sniffing, "others are a bottle of water, a pair of shoes, Tequila and… Miss Mirajane's scarf" Wendy said as she opened her eyes, "How'd I do?"
"When did you get the bar tender's scarf?" Gajeel asked the lightning mage.
"N-None of your damn business," Laxus blushed before speaking, "Your performance was impressive for a youngster Wendy," He said while now crossing his arms, "I had Natsu place music lacrima in five different locations in the building. Identify them."
This was going to be a little difficult considering she was normally exposed to the loud music in the club and this somewhat clouded her ability to distinguish sounds. Still, she couldn't give up. Closing her eyes once more she began to distinguish the sounds from each other.
"There are speakers in the kitchen, lounge, pool, Cana's bedroom and the… lab?" She asked hoping she was right.
"That is… correct. All five of them," Laxus admitted as Natsu grabbed Wendy and spun her.
"Great work kid. You really are a dragon slayer!" Natsu congratulated.
"Wendy, did you leave the window open again?" Carla asked as she looked around the room but realised her partner was absent and went into panic mode.
"Wendy where are you?" Carla asked as she flew through the halls of the large building. She was going to find her best friend whether she like it or not.
Panting heavily as she had checked every floor, Carla rested against a door and that's when she heard it.
"Ow it hurts. Please stop!" Wendy's voice came from the other side but she could hear two other voices that belonged to males.
"Cut it out. She'll draw too much attention!" one voice said.
"Come on man, just say you want a turn when I'm done," another responded.
"Those miscreants!" Carla said before pushing the door open and dashed straight for Natsu who had his hands on Wendy. She bashed him in the groin dropping him to his knees and then decided to beat him in the head.
"Carla stop!" Wendy said from where she stood; unharmed.
The exceed rushed over to her friend and began to check her, "Did he make you undress? Tell me if he touched you."
"Calm down Carla. I wasn't being assaulted. Natsu was just tickling me."
"But you said it hurt?"
"I was laughing too hard. Otherwise I'm safe," she explained to Carla who blushed slightly in embarrassment.
"Oh in that case," she said before turning to the fire mage, "I'm sorry for causing you injury, Natsu."
"N-Not a problem," he said while massaging himself to ease the pain, "I wouldn't touch her wrongly. She's like a little sister to me."
"Alright then. Wendy, Natsu get into position!" Laxus barked as the younger mages did as they were told.
"Since you're a Shy Dragon Slayer, your air breath should be able take out fires," Laxus said, "Natsu, engulf yourself in flames!"
"Aye sir!" he responded as his body was now covered in flames.
"Put out Natsu's fire!"
Wendy nodded and readied herself. Inhaling a large amount of air, "Sky Dragon… Roar!"
Gusts of wind burst towards Natsu whose flames remained burning brightly and furiously, "You've gotta try harder than that Wendy." This was going to be a long night.
Two figures moved through the shadows as they searched for a particular house. Soon enough, their targeted location was found.
"Is this where the old fart lives? Pathetic," Gray commented before pulling out a communicator, "Yo Levy, what exactly are we supposed to do.?"
"You're supposed to do some snooping around his house. Find out more information about his affiliation with the LIC," Levy's voice responded.
Gray put the communicator in his pocket and looked at Mirajane who was looking around, "I'm cool with spying but I didn't intend to end up babysitting the bartender."
"Let's go inside, I picked the lock," Mira called out to him.
Through the dark house, the ice wizard followed closely behind the take-over mage. She looked really nice in the jumpsuit she wore. Really attractive too.
"I'd appreciate it if you quit checking me out and took a look at this," Mira said while flashing a light lacrima at a brochure.
"What's it say?" Gray asked.
"If you are reading this, then you have been chosen to participate in the Lacrima Implantation Community's trial runs. You will receive a parcel containing the lacrima and you should follow the instructions that come with it for implantation. You will be regularly monitored by one of our employees," she said as the important message on the brochure ended.
"Interesting. We should take it back for further analysis," Gray suggested as Mira stuffed it in his pocket.
"Take a look at this," Mira said while holding an empty test tube, "I found this inside a box. This must be where the lacrima was kept." She then stuffed the items inside Gray's pocket.
"Why is all this stuff going in my pockets?" he asked.
"Because my outfit doesn't have pockets," Mira responded while looking at him, "You know, you seem like a really mature guy."
"What the-" Gray started but was cut off by the sound of voices on the other side of the wall, "Did you hear that?"
The pair placed their ears against the wall and began to make out what they could hear.
"Who are you?" Macao asked the figure that stood in front of him.
"My identity is classified but I shall inform you of my purpose," the being said while looking at Macao.
"What do you want? I swear I'll kill you!" he said while summoning flames in his hands.
"I am an agent from the LIC. I'm responsible for monitoring your progress as a test subject and I believe you have failed as you were nearly bested by a regular mage," the figure said.
"S-So what, I was outnumbered. I would've killed him if it was one on one," Macao defended.
The mask on the creature's face changed its expression from a neutral one to an angry one, "If it was a success, you would've killed him in one hit but you failed and the consequence for failure is death. We don't want you spreading any delicate information about the organisation."
"Death huh, unless it's yours, the consequences won't come to pass," Macao said while launching an attack at the figure but ended up face first against the wall.
"Your advances will be worthless. Surrender now or die," it ordered.
"I thought I was gonna die anyway," Macao said while shooting purple flame balls at the figure who easily dodged them and absorbed their power.
"Now let me show you what I can do," it said as Macao suddenly felt himself being electrocuted painfully, "I'm not only withdrawing the lacrima from your body, I'm also draining your life force."
"Kyaah!" Macao yelled in pain as he felt his body melt.
"Dad, what's going on… who are you?" Romeo asked as he encountered Gray and Mira outside his father's room.
Mira quickly sprang into action and knocked the child unconscious, "I'm sorry but I can't let you blow our cover. We need to attack the person hurting your father by surprise."
"W-Wait, we're going in there?" Gray asked as he never really liked Macao in the first place and wasn't willing to risk his own life.
"We have to save him. It's the right thing to do," Mira said while resting Romeo against a wall.
"I'm a gangster, I don't care about the right thing," Gray said while crossing his arms, "I say we just bolt with the data and get out."
"If you're not going to help him then fine by me. I'm a guild wizard pledged to help those that are weak," Mira said while walking into the room leaving Gray outside.
"Process nearing completion," the figure said as Macao lay on the ground no longer able to yell as he was too weak, "Ninety-seven percent, ninety-eight, ninety-ni-" it was cut off when it was hit by a blast of energy from Mira who was donning her Satan Soul.
"Enough of this nonsense. Leave him alone and face me!" she ordered with her voice altered.
"Another pathetic mage. I cannot let her escape as well," it said before lunging at Mira.
Mira evaded the attack and shot another blast at the figure and it avoided it. She launched herself at it and began to engage in melee combat with it. She threw a punch at its mask but it was avoided and countered by a kick to the back of the head causing Mira to stumble.
"You shall perish at the expense of the failed experiment," it said as its hands were covered with bright energy orbs, "Lacrima Shot!" it said as the orbs fired at Mira smashing her against the wall.
The figure lunged at Mira but was blocked by an ice barrier, "Are you alright?" Gray asked while looking back at her.
"I'm fine," she said while standing up, "what changed your mind?"
"I don't really know. Something just made me come back," He responded, "Why don't we finish him off?"
"Sounds good to me," Mira said before lunging at the figure and punching him numerous times but to no effect.
"Ice Make… Lance!" Gray called as the projectiles flew at the figure who avoided them and replicated a darker version of them towards Gray.
The projectiles hit Gray causing him an extreme amount of pain, "Ah, shit!"
Mirajane launched an attack on the creature and sliced past it while on her knees. Slowly, she felt herself fall to the ground unconscious.
"Now I will have to exterminate three mages," it said but before it could use its magic, a sharp pain in the side alerted it and it was bleeding, "I am weakened. I shall leave before more arrive. At least I managed to extract the lacrima." With that the figure was gone.
Gray limped over to where Mira lay unconscious in her regular outfit. He rested her head on his lap and checked if she was still alive. Her breaths tickled his chest relieving him from worry. He then pulled out a communicator, "Levy, we need a pickup."
The four dragon slayers sat at the edge of the building admiring the moonlight's glow on the scenery below, "I'm not that tired," Natsu yawned, "but she sure is," he said while stroking Wendy's cheek as she had fallen asleep on his lap.
"She's got a lot of power that she has to unlock. I'm sure with more training she'll be powerful," Laxus said while taking a puff of his cigarette.
"I think I should take her to the room now," Carla yawned.
"Don't worry, she's safe with us," Gajeel said from where he sat, "Natsu's gonna bring her back safely."
With a bit of doubt, Carla decided to trust the older dragon slayers with her best friend. Wendy won't always want Carla bossing her around, "Okay, I trust you to keep her safe. Goodnight." With that, the exceed walked off.
"You know, she's quite adorable," Natsu said while looking at her closely.
"Don't go getting feelings for her," Gajeel said while looking at the night sky.
"You know, I think you're the over protective brother type Gajeel," Natsu said while looking at the iron mage.
"Huh, I think I'm more of the cool older brother," Gajeel responded.
"No way, that'd be Laxus. You seem possessive. Heck, even the way you flirt with Levy shows it."
"Whatever, why are we even talking about this?" he asked before Natsu bashed him in the head, "The heck was that for?"
"Let's rumble!" the pinkette said without noticing that Wendy had gotten up and walked over to Laxus and slept on his lap.
"These knuckleheads are bugging you huh?" he asked as he felt her nod. He then proceeded to shove them off the roof.
"Did I do well?" Wendy asked from her position.
"Heh, you were pretty cool."
"Awesome. I'm glad you're impressed."
"We've still got a lot of work to do though."
"I'm willing to work hard."
"Alright lil sis, alright."
Hey readers. Thanks for reading this chapter and hope ya'll enjoyed it. I appreciate the fact that you've been reading this and it drives me to continue. I can't wait to hear your opinions on this. Anyway, I'm going on Hiatus for sometime so please don't miss me much.