The second Lucy's cab was out of sight, Loke raced back to his car. This couldn't be happening. Loke had done everything he had been asked to do without question. He had broken his own soul again and again and would continue to do so if it meant his wish would continue to be granted.

Unlocking his car, Loke threw the door open and froze. A man dressed in a shiny, black, morph suit was sitting in the passenger seat, staring straight ahead. He noticed the man's right hand was pointed like a gun and aimed directly at Loke's heart.

"Hello Caelum," Loke said, trying to hide his surprise. He eased into the car and closed the door. "To what do I owe this pleasure?"

"Please confirm your identity," Caelum spoke, causing the hairs on the back of Loke's neck to stand up. It was wrong. It sounded like grating metal and static colliding together with the notes of a child's voice strung throughout. It wasn't human. But neither was Caelum.

If she wanted to contact Loke, Caelum would always appear to deliver the message. Given Loke's lack of progress in his current mission, he was sure that explained Caelum's presence now. At least, he hoped Caelum was only delivering a scolding.

"Straight to business then," Loke said. The ring on his left pointer finger slid off with protest. He rarely took off this ring. It was a gold ring with elaborate markings etched into the precious metal. What looked like fashionable marks were actually the last traces of his identity. His whole life story was wrapped around his finger.

When he became a Deadman, he was destroyed. It wasn't just his name that was taken from him. Everything and everyone he had known and loved was gone. The memories of his old life were wispy ghosts that haunted his heart. But that was the price he had paid.

Caelum turned its head slowly to face Loke, watching him with its faceless expression. A circular hole opened up in Caelum's chest and Loke placed the ring in there. The hole closed up and a red ring of light glowed on Caelum's chest. When the light turned white, the ring disappeared and Caelum lowered his right hand.

"Identify confirmed. Deadman XX8, please standby for transmission."

The silence of those seconds stretched on.

Loke looked out the window, watching as New Yorkers and tourists alike hurried down the streets to whatever destination their feet carried them. He remembered a memory from long ago. Hurrying through the cold with a warm hand clasped in his. Another ghost brushing against his heart.

"You're disappointing me, Loke." The voice that came through was no longer Caelum's. It was a woman's voice, and the sound of it made Loke's memory wither away. "My patience is wearing thin."

Even though it was just her voice, Loke could feel the anger and revulsion stir up inside of him. The things she had made him do. What she had turned him into. Her voice made him sick just listening to it.

You made a choice. The reminder quietly whispered itself.

"I'm sorry, Mistress," Loke apologized, filling his voice with as much regret as possible. He knew she liked it when he was submissive. "Lucy is adamant about us reconnecting. She's changed. She's not like she used to be."

"Oh? Are your charms no longer effective? Are you saying you can't complete this mission?" There was humor in her voice, but it only served to thinly veil her threat.

Shit. Loke kept his facial features under control. If he ever became useless to Mistress, she would end him. The wish he sold his soul for would also end. He couldn't let that happen. He wouldn't let that happen.

"Do you like playing house, Loke?" Mistress asked. "Do you like coming home to your fiancée? Planning your wedding? Envisioning your lives together?"

Loke kept his head bowed. He knew not to speak. He knew not to grovel. It only made her crueler. Loke needed to take this lashing quietly.

"You're distracted Loke," Mistress snapped, the humor gone from her voice. Loke's chin was forced up by Caelum's hand. He could see the tiny cameras in its eye sockets focusing on him. "And your poor performance is costing me precious time. I've waited long enough for this. I want what you promised me!"

Caelum's hand released his chin and caressed his face, moved by Mistress's will rather than its own. Loke forced himself not to flinch.

"I don't like to share my things," Mistress said, her voice softening. Caelum's fingers stroked his cheek. "Especially not with that spoiled Heartfilia bitch." Caelum's hand slapped him. The sting of the impact burned across his cheek. His teeth had cut the inside of his mouth and the bitter taste of blood coated his tongue.

Loke kept his eyes down, focusing on the leather stitching on the seats. If he looked up now, she would see the hatred in his eyes. He breathed in slowly through his mouth and out his nose. The rage and defiance faded. The mask he wore smoothed back into place.

"Finish your mission Loke and soon. I doubt I need to remind you what will happen if you don't," Mistress threatened.

There it was. The reminder of the noose around his neck. Those words tugged it tighter and Loke felt his heart race faster. He had given her this power. He had fashioned the rope himself and placed it willingingly in her hands.

You made a choice.

Loke looked at Caelum and bowed his head. "Forgive me, Mistress. I will complete my mission. Lucy will marry me and you will have what you desire."

"I will give you more time Loke, because you have never disappointed me before." The tone of her voice changed, no longer hard and icy. Caelum turned away then, lights flashing on its chest. "Caelum will get rid of the inconveniences for you, so focus on your job."

"Thank you, Mistress." Loke could imagine the person Mistress was referring to. A loud, annoying, spikey-haired nuisance. But, was there someone else hindering his progress with Lucy?

Caelum slumped in the seat, Mistress cutting off the transmission on her end. The circular opening in its chest opened up and Loke slid the ring back onto his finger. Having it's familiar weight back in his hand made Loke feel a little more at ease.

"Transmission ended." Caelum's voice returned and for once, Loke was thankful for it.

Caelum opened the door, sending a fresh gust of the cold December air into the car. It disappeared, melting back into the shadows of the city; slinking away to carry out the ominous commands Mistress was sure to have sent to it.

Once Caelum was gone, Loke let his shoulders sag. He had been holding his breath, waiting for Mistress to bring up the encounter. But it was just a reminder of what he had to do. The price he still had to pay.

These encounters always left Loke with resignations. In order to complete his mission, he couldn't hesitate. He couldn't feel anything. He turned the key in the ignition, but didn't make a move to turn on the heat. He let himself sit in the cold longer to try and numb himself again.

Lucy was a kind girl. It was easy to pretend to be in love with her. But that's all it was. A pretense of love to get what Mistress wanted. When he first received the mission it sounded easy enough. Mistress had asked him to do worse things. He couldn't have been more wrong.

The memory of the cold day returned. A warm hand in his. Street lamps racing by as they hurried home.

You made a choice.

Lucy had tried to visit Aries in the hospital. She wasn't in any critical condition but she was still unconscious when Lucy arrived. Since Lucy wasn't family, the hospital wouldn't allow her to see Aries. She had left her contact information with the hospital staff before she left and said she would be back tomorrow.

As she left the hospital, a black car pulled up in front of her. It was sleek and looked freshly waxed. Lucy could clearly see her reflection on it. The windows were heavily tinted, not offering a hint of who was inside.

The driver door opened, and a man smartly dressed in a black tux and white gloves stepped out. He walked briskly to open the passenger door and stood to the side.

"Aquarius!" Lucy gasped as she made out her father's lawyer from the dark shadows inside.

Aquarius looked up from her phone long enough to pin Lucy with her signature glare. "Get in. We have things to discuss."

Ever since the disastrous trip back home, Lucy hadn't spoken with Aquarius. One of Aquarius's employees had delivered the papers Lucy needed to sign to gain control of her inheritance. Once they were signed, all contact with her had ceased. There wasn't anything else they could possibly have to discuss.

"What are you doing here?" Lucy felt her heart pound faster. I'm not a kid anymore, calm down.

"I won't repeat myself." Aquarius went back to typing away on her phone.

She was still the same. Showing up out of the blue armed with glares and demands. Lucy gripped the straps of her purse tighter and turned away.

"I have nothing to say to you."

"Still acting like a child," Aquarius sighed, her voice filled with ice. "Stop wasting other people's time and get in the car. I have better things to do than chase after you all day."

Why is she always like this? Lucy asked herself as she turned around and ducked inside the car. And why can't I just walk away?

She slid across the seat, sitting on the opposite side of Aquarius, who was still furiously texting away on her phone. The door closed and the driver returned to the wheel, pulling away from the hospital.

"You're making a mistake," Aquarius began as she reached for the briefcase resting next to her on the seat.

"And what mistake are you referring to?" Lucy asked, already regretting getting into the car.

"I don't need you—"

"What you need to do is be quiet until I'm finished talking," Aquarius snapped as she opened her briefcase pulling out a dark navy folder.

Lucy bit the inside of her cheek, keeping herself from retorting. The effect Aquarius had on her made it difficult to go against her demands. Last time they met, Lucy was filled with so much anger at what her father had done that she had found the strength to walk out. But now, Lucy was tired. The anger she had felt that day had dimmed.

"As I was saying, you're making a mistake by marrying Loke without having him sign a prenuptial agreement." Aquarius said, handing her a navy folder that contained a large stack of legal documents

"I'm not making him sign this," Lucy said, holding the folder out for Aquarius to take back. "Loke loves me. He doesn't want my money."

The tension in the car increased. A corner of Aquarius's lips twitched up as she gave Lucy a rueful smile. "Naive as ever," she shook her head. "Your willingness to believe whatever story that man spun for you aside, it's imperative that you get him to sign that agreement."

This didn't make sense to Lucy. Aquarius practically forced the inheritance onto her and now she was making demands on who she gave access to it. "Why is it so important he signs this? So what if he uses the money? It's just money after all. I never planned on using it."

"Your ignorance is exasperating, child." Aquarius rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. "You inherited your father's wealth, but your mother left you important heirlooms no one but you should have access to."

"My m-mother?" Lucy breathed.

The day after her mother died, Lucy's father woke her gently and carried her outside the house. It was the middle of the night, the stars shone across the sky. She sleepily asked her father what they were doing. It was cold and she wanted to go back to bed. She clutched her mother's book as her father tucked her blanket around her.

"One day you'll understand, Lucy," her father had said as they walked away from their home. "This is for the best."

"Papa…" she looked over his shoulder and saw her home, the memories of her mother engulfed in flames.

It was then that they moved to the island and her isolation began. Lucy didn't think there was anything left of her mother's belongings. Her father had turned everything to ash.

"I thought everything of hers was gone. What heirlooms did she leave me?" The memories of her mother were precious to her, but time was beginning to fade them away. To be able to hold something of hers, Lucy couldn't describe how that would feel. Her heart ached with just the thought of the possibility.

The frown on Aquarius's face deepened. "I cannot say."

Lucy leaned back in her seat. The hope that had been building inside her rushed out like a popped balloon, leaving Lucy deflated. She hadn't realized she had leaned forward, eagerly waiting to hear what had survived her father's grief. "And why not? Is my father upholding you to a gag order from beyond the grave?"

Her words sounded childish even to her, but Lucy couldn't suppress the hurt she felt. Aquarius had dangled her mother's memory in front of her and lured her in. Was it just a tactic to get her to make Loke sign the agreement? It was a cheap trick and it only pissed Lucy off. The horrible meeting with the twins, Aries's trip to the hospital, Loke's odd reaction to everything and now this? Lucy closed her eyes trying to swallow the frustrations but it was too much.

"Stop the car," Lucy mumbled, her eyes squeezed shut.

"Excuse me?" Aquarius arched her brow.

"Stop the car." Lucy opened her eyes, issuing the demand loud enough for the driver to hear. The car pulled to a stop along the curb.

"I'm not done discussing the matter—" Aquarius started but Lucy interrupted.

"But I am." Lucy placed her hand on the door. "You can't come in and out of my life demanding things of me. My father did that my entire life. But this is my life, Aquarius. I won't have anyone else tell me how to live it."

"Lucy, please wait!" Aquarius reached out, placing her hand atop Lucy's to stop her from leaving. In all her life, Aquarius had never once called Lucy by her name. And she never said please. Aquarius snatched her hand away, briefly looking down at it confused, as if it had moved on its own. Shaking her head, Aquarius grabbed the folder and held it out to Lucy.

"If you could just read it through, you'll see it doesn't inhibit Loke from touching your wealth, just your mother's property. Consider this request, please." Aquarius strained against the word, but Lucy could tell she was sincere.

Lucy took the folder as she opened the door. She looked back before exiting the car, her mouth opened but no words came out. She shut it tightly and stepped out onto the curb.

Once again, her old life had caught up with her. The folder felt heavy in Lucy's hand. What had belonged to her mother that no one could know about but her? Before she could dwell on any of this, her phone started ringing. Lucy cringed at the sound of it as she dug around in her purse. Was it Gemi? Mini?

After the day she had, Lucy was drained. She couldn't manage being polite and going through another wedding torture session. To her surprise, the name lighting up on the screen wasn't one of the twins.

"Levy!" she yelled, letting her excitement get the better of her.

"Loving the enthusiasm Lu, but go easy on my eardrums," Lucy heard Levy laugh on the other end.

"Sorry, sorry," Lucy apologized for yelling as she walked into her building. "I'm just so happy to hear from you."

"Wedding planning has kept you busy." There was still humor in Levy's voice, but Lucy felt awful. Helping Levy plan her wedding had been so much fun. The two of them had spent so many hours laughing and dreaming of a perfect day. But that hadn't been the case now.

"Levy I'm sorry, I just—"

"You don't need to apologize. I just wanted to see if you're free to be kidnapped."

"Talk to you soon, Lu."

Levy ended her call with Lucy and leaned back in her chair. It was troubling to hear about Aries. Levy wanted to question her about her reaction to Loke. She still didn't know how to do that tactfully, given she had overseen the entire scenario because of the nanobot inside of Lucy. Not really the best way to start a conversation.

"I'll figure that out later," she muttered to herself as she closed her laptop and reset the timer on her watch. There was something else concerning Aries that demanded her attention.

Levy scooped up her laptop and made her way to the back of the Chinese restaurant she was currently in. It was empty save for the staff who were enjoying their lunch after working the afternoon shift. They didn't even look up as she passed the double doors and entered the kitchen. The staff seemed unfazed by her presence and had kept mostly to themselves. They were either on the Organization's payroll or obedient by fear, or both.

"Take this," the chef spoke in Mandarin as he thrust a bag full of food at Levy. "It's for him."

"Thank you." She responded back in Mandarin and stepped into the large freezer. Walking to the very back, Levy pushed aside the hanging meat carcasses in her way. She had to make this walk a few times and now she was seriously thinking about going vegetarian because of it.

When she reached the end of the freezer, Levy was shivering and clutching the surprisingly still hot bag of food to her close. Barely discernible from the chunks of ice coating the back wall, was a door. Levy bent down and brushed a bit of the ice away from the bottom corner and pressed the button hidden there. The door swung open and Levy hurried through.

"I don't see why they had to make the entrance to this place a freezer," Levy said as she entered the room, the door closing behind her. "I feel like I'm on the verge of hypothermia every time I walk through there." She set the food on an empty cart and plopped down in the nearest chair.

The safe house wasn't much in the means of a house. It was a large room filled with a random assortment of items. There was an old couch and random chairs for seating. Shelving units took up the majority of the walls. Black boxes with white labels were lined up neatly on the surfaces. Levy had peaked in a few of them but they mainly held weapons she knew how to use in theory but not in practice.

Levy thought the Organization, with its endless array of resources, would have a highly teched-out bunker. When she first arrived, Levy was disappointed to find that the tech barely made it into the 21st century.

She had coaxed a large box that acted as a computer to life, but it was too ancient for her programs to run properly. The cell service could barely even reach the satellite she hijacked. For any type of decent cell or internet service, Levy had to go into the restaurant which meant making the horrible trip through the freezer. This place was a dead zone in the middle of New York City.

"Well, it's what we needed," Levy sighed as her eyes flicked to the couch where Natsu was lying unconscious.

Richard had to sedate him in order to apply the appropriate treatment. After he was done tending to Natsu's wounds, he left to move the car to a better location. Because of Natsu's state, they had been in a rush to get here. Richard needed to clean up their tracks and hope that the enemy hadn't followed them to this location. Levy had been instructed not to leave the safe house, but the lack of internet made that order impossible to follow. She kept her emerges brief and kept away from the windows.

Watching the slow rise and fall of his chest, Levy sighed as she looked over at Natsu's unconscious body. It was strange to see how vulnerable Natsu looked with IVs hooked up to him and bruises dotting his body. It was almost hard to believe the stories she had read about him were true. How could he be the demon everyone feared in the Underworld, who made even the darkest hearts quake with fear?

He got hurt because of me too.

Shaking her head, Levy turned back to her work. It wasn't time to dwell on that. Aries's books were splayed out on the coffee table in front of her, opened up to reveal the message written in each. Frowning at them, Levy tried once again to decipher what the messages could mean.

The stories were all random. Levy had read through each book and couldn't find a connection. While she was talking with Lucy, she had looked into the authors' histories, trying to figure out if there was a connection between them. But that had led to nothing. Levy had checked the publishing houses, the editors, the printers, everything and everyone who had a connection to any of the five titles. Nothing made sense. There were a few connections, but none were incriminating.

The messages Aries wrote in the books weren't revealing anything either. Levy considered reading the books another time but she already knew them by heart. Having a photographic memory had its perks.

"This is ridiculous," Levy grumbled as she wrote out the messages on a scrap of paper she found. After reciting the messages in every language she knew, Levy resorted to writing them down. "I can decipher dead languages in my sleep. I should know this."

She was starting to rewrite the messages in French, but stopped. It wasn't going to reveal anything more than she already knew. And that was nothing. Feeling useless was something Levy hated feeling. What was the point of all her knowledge and degrees if she couldn't use it to help her friends?

Dots of water smeared the paper. Levy looked up, fearing a leak in the ceiling but felt water slide down her cheeks.

Tears? Levy rubbed at her eyes furiously. Crying wouldn't save Lucy. Tears wouldn't heal Natsu's wounds. Grabbing the piece of paper, Levy wrote the page numbers that contained Aries's writing.

"114. 204. 229. 312. 314." Why these pages? Why here? From how the messages were written, Levy believed they went in chronological order. But what significance did it hold? "These notes read more like diary entries than coded—"

Her pen dropped from her hand, rolling across the surface until it fell to the floor. "I'm such an idiot!

"The page numbers are dates! January 14th. February 4th. February 29th. March 12th. March 14th. These are diary entries." Levy reached for the nearest book and flipped it open to Aries's message. "Page 229: Forever. I didn't think it was something I could hold. It may be for a short while, but it's enough.

"That would mean that Aries met and fell in love with Leo on a leap year. According to Lucy, she met Loke in Hawaii five years ago. All these books were bought from the same bookstore in Chicago. That sets the search to leaps years before their encounter. So if I scan through the city's information for the past leap years then I can figure out if Loke is Leo!"

Levy pushed back from her seat, grabbing her laptop in a rush to get back to the restaurant where she could connect to the internet and confirm her theory. She reached for the door but it swung open before she even touched the handle. The chilly frost fogged the entry. Levy squinted, trying to see past the dense veil.

"Richard?"

"I wasn't informed of any operatives who needed this shelter. So imagine my surprise when I received a notification that it was in use." A woman emerged from the fog, the door shutting behind her as she crossed the threshold. "Looks like a little mouse has wandered into somewhere she shouldn't be."

The woman towered over Levy. Her lips smiled but her eyes glared at her. Brilliant red hair cascaded down the woman's back and swept over her right eye.

Levy combed through the Organization's database when she first hacked their systems. She gathered every piece of information she could on its members. Their names, codenames, rankings, skills, weaknesses. It all ran through her mind in a rush of information. However, she didn't need any of it to identify the woman. The fear that shot through Levy was enough of an indication as to who this woman was.

As well known and as feared as Natsu, was the Organization's scarlet haired operative that tore apart hell itself. The whispers from the shadows of the Underworld only helped to highlight her legendary status. The very mention of her name made the Underworld wolves shiver in their skins.

Titania.

"How did you end up here, little mouse? Ah!" Titania smiled when her eyes flicked to Natsu, resting on the couch. "That's how."

Levy was frozen as Titania reached out and patted her head. She walked past Levy, her attention focused solely on Natsu. Levy couldn't quite read the expression on her face. It was a mixture of annoyance, glee, and concern.

"W-Wait," Levy called out to her, finally finding her voice but Titania ignored her. What was going to happen to Natsu? Levy knew she wasn't supposed to be here. There was a reason Natsu was hesitant about using this place. But they had no other options. What if Natsu was punished because of this? He was already badly hurt and he wasn't awake to defend himself.

"Stop!" Levy yelled. She ran to Natsu's side, throwing her arms out, using her body as a shield.

Her body was shaking fiercely. Levy forced herself not to look away from the woman's gaze. She had to think. There was no way she could overpower one of the Organization's top operatives but physical prowess was never her strength.

"Who did this to him?" Titania asked, thankfully not coming any closer. Her voice held more concern than Levy would have imagined.

Levy hesitated. Who wasn't the right question. What was a better term. But they still didn't know what did this to Natsu or who commanded the attack. Even if they did, was this information something Natsu would want the Organization to have? The relationship he had with them was complicated. Levy didn't want to complicate things further.

"A mugger tried to—"

A knife whizzed past her head, the blade nearly grazing her cheek. Levy turned her head slightly to see the dagger embedded into the concrete wall behind her. She hadn't even seen Titania move.

"I hate liars," Titania said as Levy turned back to face her. "That was a warning. So let's try this again. Who did this to him?"

What do I do? Levy glanced down at her watch. Natsu was heavily drugged and there was no telling when he would be awake to help explain things. Titania didn't seem like the kind of person to sit quietly and wait for answers. Especially while one of her own was lying in front of her, cut up, bruised, and unconscious.

The freezer door opened and Levy's eyes snapped to it to see Richard step through. Levy's heart flooded with relief. She didn't think he could take on Titania, but maybe they could orchestrate enough of a distraction to grab Natsu and get the hell out of here. But her relief was short-lived.

A man with blue hair and a red face tattoo held a gun to Richard's back. Levy recognized him from the Organization as well. Of course Titania's partner would be with her. Titania's right hand—the one who walked at her side and made the wolves howl in fear as well.

Her heart sank.

Siegrain.

"I found him trying to enter the safe house," Siegrain said as he pushed Richard to his knees. Richard caught Levy's eye as he fell and shook his head slightly.

Don't do anything. His silent message was clear, but how could she not? Two of the Organization's most deadly operatives were standing in front of them wanting answers Levy didn't know how to give.

"Another one? Did Salamander tell the whole neighborhood about this place?" Titania threw her hands up. "We have to black out this safe house now. Which is a shame, because I really like the food here."

Siegrain looked at Levy and then at Natsu, his quiet gaze taking everything in. "What happened to the Salamander?" he asked. "He looks like shit."

"Our little mouse was just about to tell us."

The smile Titania flashed at Levy chilled her soul. There was hardly any other choice but to tell the truth. Levy couldn't lie her way out of this situation. Titania would kill her before the lie even left her lips.

"The Salamander engaged in combat with an unknown Underworld operative," Richard jumped in, explaining the situation and saving Levy from having to. Titania turned her gaze on him, allowing Levy a chance to breathe.

"At some point in the altercation, the Salamander was poisoned with a substance that de-coagulated his blood. He needed immediate medical attention and this was the closest place that had the necessary tools to heal him and the scrutiny."

"Someone got the best of the Salamander?" Titania scoffed. "I said no more lying."

Siegrain cocked his gun. Levy's breath hitched. Richard was telling the truth, but it wasn't enough for the Organization. It was hard for even Levy to believe it and she had been there to see the aftermath of the battle.

"He's not lying," Levy rushed out. Titania's eyes shifted back to her. "Natsu was following a lead I discovered. No one was supposed to be there. I didn't think and because of me he...he..."

Tears slid down her cheeks, a flood that she had been suppressing poured out. Levy had worked in the Underworld for a long time. She had seen unimaginable horrors, but nothing had been more terrifying than seeing someone she cared about hurt. Despite being a demon among wolves, Natsu was still Natsu. He was still a dear friend of hers and seeing him in a state of such vulnerability had really shaken her.

"Don't cry over these scratches, Levy," Natsu groaned from the couch. Levy gasped, turning around to see Natsu sitting up. "It's not like that thing killed me."

"Natsu!" Levy threw her arms around him. She cried harder now, tears of relief that he was awake and alive. She heard him wince and she eased her grip. "Sorry."

"This is touching and all, but someone needs to start explaining things," Titania demanded. "Now."

"We told you already—"

"Levy, let me handle this." Natsu placed his hand on her shoulder and nodded. Levy frowned but relented. If anyone had a chance of appealing to the Organization, it would be Natsu.

"Er—"

"No names, Salamander." Siegrain shot him a look.

Natsu rolled his eyes, but nodded in agreement. "Titania, I didn't want the Organization involved but something strange is going on in the Underworld."

Levy listened as Natsu explained the situation up until now. He spoke about Lucy, his voice dipping into a fondness she was sure he wasn't aware of. When it came to talking about Loke and their theory he was a Deadman, Levy could hear the notes of murderous restraint in his voice. It was a reminder how dangerous Natsu was and how hard he fought to control himself.

The candidness of Natsu's explanation surprised Levy. She hadn't expected him to share so much with the Organization. Was it because of what he had said earlier?

"This is going to be more difficult than we thought." Levy remembered his words. Is Natsu hoping the Organization will help him save Lucy? Then why hasn't he told them about me?

Natsu was upfront in his explanation, except he had left Levy completely out of it. He had changed certain details of the story to make it seem like she was just a bystander. He didn't explain about her tracking technology nor her connections to the Underworld. As far as Titania or Siegrain knew, Levy was just a concerned friend who had nothing to do with anything, except being at the wrong place at the wrong time.

He's protecting me! Levy almost protested against it but realized there must be a reason for his omissions. If the Organization found out what she could do or what she had done, they would surely see her as a threat. A threat to be swiftly eliminated.

Once Natsu finished explaining, Titania looked at Siegrain and back at Natsu. "So this is how you spend your spare time? You can't leave the Underworld behind, can you? Is the allure of the darkness we dragged you out of too strong for you?"

Natsu glared at Titania. "If the Organization wasn't so afraid of that darkness, I wouldn't have to keep going back."

Siegrain shot him another warning glance. "Careful."

The tension in the air was thick. Natsu stood, shakingly at first despite his best efforts to hide it, moving to stand in front of Levy. He still wasn't fully recovered from the poison. Levy hoped there weren't any lasting side effects.

"You don't have to worry about these two," Natsu glared back at the man. "I trust them."

"And because you trust them, we should?" Titania asked.

"You trust me. That's reason enough"

"Your trust is contractual and insured," she said, clearly not won over by Natsu's argument. "The Organization fights for the good in the world. Because of this, it has enemies everywhere. There are too many wolves that would hide themselves among sheep."

"Richard's my driver. And Levy is an innocent," Natsu protested. "She's just worried about her friend. You can let them go."

"An innocent? Hardly," Titania said, pointing at Levy. "She said so herself. It was her lead that led you to the predicament you're in now. How did she come across this knowledge? What if she's secretly working for this mysterious enemy? Your trust in her was foolish. The great and terrifying Salamander was brought to his knees because of this girl."

Levy looked at Natsu. He couldn't honestly believe that? It was true that he was at Aries's apartment because of her, but that was just a coincidence. The enemy had surprised them both.

"You're wrong, Er—"

"No names!" Siegrain pointed his gun back at Richard. "Or I'll kill them both now."

"This goes beyond protocol Salamander," Titania continued. "You brought two non-certified individuals onto the Organization's property. And a safe house no less. Because of your actions, I have to now scrap this location and force other agents to find other means of resources until a new safe house can be established. This is New York fucking City! Do you know how long that's going to take?

"This is a serious matter, Salamander. Your usefulness to the Organization supersedes these crimes. But we have no assurance in regards to these two. We have to put the good of the Organization above everything— above anyone."

"Let them go, Titania!" Natsu was breathing harder, his eyes narrowed in pain. "I haven't given the Organization any reason to doubt me. They're not a threat. Trust me, I promise!"

"You know the price of trust," Titania said, her eyes darkening.

A pained expression marred Natsu's features. Levy had never seen him look like that before. She had read the file the Organization had on him, but it didn't mention anything about the reason for the contract. But if the mention of it caused him that much pain, it had to be something awful. Just what was the Organization holding over him?

"Stop this," Levy stepped out from behind Natsu.

"Levy, don't—"

The anger inside of Levy kept growing. She was angry at whoever was targeting Lucy. She was angry at herself for putting Natsu in danger. She was angry at the Organization for treating them like wolves— for causing Natsu to make that pained expression. Levy turned her gaze toward Titania, moving to stand in front of the terrifying woman.

"You're a part of this Organization claiming to be on the side of good, but you're threatening us because we saved someone—one of your own!"

"I've tread too far into the Underworld to be fooled by a simple good deed. More innocent-looking people than you have tried this trick. Pretend to do good for your own selfish Salamander claims you're innocent, but no one in this world ever is." Titania closed the space between them, locking eyes with Levy. She leaned in, speaking low so that only Levy could hear her words. "And one look at you, and I can see you're no sheep."

Titania had no idea how right she was. Levy glanced down at her watch. It was time to show her teeth. "And you're acting more like a wolf than a protector."

"Do you have any idea who you're talking to girl?" Seigrain glared at Levy, but she wasn't going to be intimidated by him either.

"Actually," Levy smirked, letting her knowledge give her the bravado and confidence she lacked. "I should be the one asking that question, Jellal."

Titania grabbed Levy's arm, twisting it behind her back before pinning her to the ground. Her body hit the floor hard. The air in her lungs squeezed out of her painfully from the impact, sending her coughing and gasping for more. The burning pain of her muscles being strained as her arm was held tightly behind her in Titania's unrelenting grasp made tears spring in the corners of her eyes. The cool kiss of the barrel of Titania's gun pressed against Levy's cheek.

"Who are you?" Titania growled, pressing the gun harder into Levy's cheek.

Natsu reached out to Levy, trying to free her from Titania's hold. Jellal knocked Richard out and was at Titania's side in an instant. He shoved Natsu back, causing him to fall backwards onto the couch.

"Stand down Salamander," Jellal said, eyes narrowed. He pointed the gun at Richard's unconscious form.

"Don't say anything more, Levy!" Natsu shouted.

Levy tried to smile, but the gun pressed against her face made it look more like a grimace. "It's okay, Natsu. I'm not arrogant enough to think I could hide in the shadows forever. This was going to happen sooner or later."

The alarm on her watch went off.

Just much sooner than I wanted.

"What is that?" Titania tensed at the sound. She tightened her grip on Levy's arm and despite her efforts to suppress it, Levy whimpered from the pain.

"I paid the price of your trust," Levy gasped.

A moment later, a phone buzzed from Titania's pocket. She looked at Jellal with a skeptical glance. She used her knee to hold down Levy's arm and reached inside her coat to grab her phone."Titania," she answered, speaking her codename as a greeting. Her eyes briefly widened, before her features resettled into a smirk. "Understood."

The call was brief. Titania tucked away her phone and released Levy. "We let them go," Titania sighed.

"Just like that?" Jellal asked, skeptical.

"First's orders." She looked at Jellal and he nodded, pocketing his gun as well.

First…

The codename for the Organization's mysterious leader. The person who created the only entity strong enough to battle against the wolves and bosses of the Underworld. Levy wanted to know more about this person, but the few leads she investigated had led to nothing. Their secrets were too far buried—for now.

"Levy?" Natsu was at her side, breathing heavily from the effort to move. He reached out to her but he collapsed where he stood. His body was still too weak to do more than stand. He placed a hand on her shoulder to comfort her, but Levy didn't need comforting.

"Don't even think about apologizing," Levy snapped at him, shrugging off his hand to help him back to the couch. Thankfully, his antics hadn't removed the IV or opened any of his wounds. "I was prepared to do this."

When Natsu hesitated using the Organization's safe house, Levy knew they had to be on their guard. When dealing with any entity in the Underworld, she always had an exit strategy. Before entering the safe house, Levy had sent a code to her personal drive. The code would release a file and send it to a specific IP address if she didn't reset it within thirty minutes.

It was true that the cell service and Internet connection were horrible in the safe house. However, Levy had gambled that the Organization had a means of communicating with one another despite that. Knowing the contents of the folder and who she had sent it to, Levy knew the Organization would want to keep her alive. The file was something she had been holding onto for a while. She had hoped there wouldn't be a situation where she had to use it, but now she had.

I should have set a line of code to hack into that person's camera to record their reaction. Levy thought. Damn.

"That's the spirit," Titania slapped Levy's back, the force of it almost made her fall over. "You're small but you have spirit! I don't know what you said to First but the order came straight from the top."

Levy blinked, shocked at the personality change of this woman. The dominating and fearful aura was gone. Instead, she was bright and cheerful, actually smiling at her. The transformation gave Levy emotional whip-lash.

"Levy, was it?" Titania asked as she walked away, collapsing in another chair. She spied the Chinese food Levy had brought down for Natsu and started helping herself to it. "Thanks to whatever trick you pulled, I don't have to scrub this place anymore and I can still enjoy the food here!"

"What did you do, Levy?" Natsu asked, his scowl trying to hide the pain he was in.

"Nothing you wouldn't have done," she answered, dodging his question. Her days as a quiet sideline player were over. Even more Underworld operatives would be trying to figure out her identity now, to unmask her and drag her from the shadows. Levy already toyed a dangerous line with her previous workings in the Underworld, but now she had stepped over and picked a side.

Now, there's no going back.

It wasn't time to focus on any of that. She had to tell Natsu what she had found. She eyed Titania and Jellal, wondering how much to say in front of them.

"Don't mind us," Jellal said, not looking up from his phone. He leaned against the chair Titania sat on. Whether or not they listened didn't matter at this point, Levy decided. With another sigh, Levy launched into an explanation of her findings.

"So Loke is Leo!" Natsu said, the excitement in his voice palpable. Some color returned to his cheeks, the excitement of dismantling Loke's lies brightening up his pale complexion.

"Weren't you listening?" Levy rolled her eyes, not wanting to go over everything again. "This doesn't confirm anything, but it gives us a clear lead to find out who this Leo person is and if he is indeed Loke."

Titania whistled and Levy and Natsu flicked their eyes to her. "Unmasking a Deadman is no easy matter. The Bosses go through great lengths to create one. It's nearly impossible to do so."

"I'm well aware of that," Levy held Titania's gaze. "But what's impossible or not never mattered to me, Erza."

The chopsticks full of lo mein paused briefly in front of her, the only indication Erza gave of being surprised. "Not a mouse after all," she declared, smiling as she set down the empty carton of food and stood.

"We would love to stay and chat—"

"We would?" Jellal asked, raising a brow?

"—but we have our own missions to get back to. Natsu," Erza pinned him with her glare, dropping the formality of codenames. "I'm not a fan of your unsanctioned missions in the Underworld. Especially now that there is a potential Deadman involved. I'll be reporting this information to the Organization."

"I figured," Natsu grumbled, looking away from her.

"And another thing." Erza walked over to him and punched him on the shoulder.

Natsu gritted his teeth together to keep from crying out. He glared up at Erza, teeth flashing as he yelled, "What the fuck is wrong with you?"

"Given other pressing matters, I cannot offer assistance with your current situation. But I'll be checking in more frequently now." Erza flicked his head and walked back to Jellal. "In the meantime, you're not allowed to get hurt; you're not allowed to lose; you're not allowed to die. That's an official order."

Is she...worried about Natsu? Levy watched the whole interaction perplexed.

"Here," she tossed something over to Levy, who grabbed it clumsily. Levy realized it was Erza's phone. Jellal opened the door to the freezer filling the room with a cold blast of air. Erza turned around before she left, her scarlet hair standing out against the fog.

"We'll be in touch, Shadowgear."