CHAPTER THREE:

My body stiffened. How did he sneak up behind me? Before I could jam my elbow into him and make a dash for it he had me up against the wall, his arm at my neck as he glared at me, "What are you doing here, Blondie?" His arm pushed harder against my neck as I struggled to breathe, "Who sent you?"

My hands scraped at his skin to no avail. He was like a d*mn brick wall. I went on my tiptoes to try to get some sound out, "N-no one!" I squeaked.

His eyes narrowed as his grip tightened, "Don't lie to me, Blondie."

"I-I'm not!" It was getting hard to see straight as my eyes went in and out of focus, "I'm here on my own!"

His grip loosened a little bit even as his eyes held their look of suspicion. Grateful regardless, I gulped in air to try to soothe my burning lungs.

"Why are you here?" He asked. His arm was still containing me but it looked as if the threat of him choking me to death had passed.

I hesitated. What if this boy has something to do with my father's disappearance. From what I've picked up, Papa worked for everyone and with everyone. The Dragneel family too.

"Tell me," his arm tightened up again, "Don't lie."

With no other choice, I found myself praying that the pink haired guy in front of me had nothing to do with it. "I-" I started and panicked, If he is, he'll kill you. If he isn't, he might not kill you, Lucy, I reasoned before swallowing, "I'm looking for Jude Heartfilia."

His eyes widened as he took a step back and surveyed me, "Mr. Heartfilia?"

I nodded, rubbing my neck.

He looked at me, sizing me up, before leaning around the corner to the two guards, "Yo!"

I froze and panicked. He's getting backup! They're about to kill me! Just as they turned towards him I made to run, but his muscular arm shot out to the wall and caged me in.

"What's up, Natsu?" The bigger of the two guards walked forward. A blonde with a super dangerous looking scar going across his right eye.

"I need you two to do me a favor," my captor said as he readjusted arm to hang around my shoulder and leaned in close to the scary blonde.

I strained my ears but could pick up nothing from the two males. Scarface pulled back and looked at me for the first time before glancing back at "Natsu". Hmmm, that name sounded familiar. "You sure?" Sure about what?

Natsu nodded, "Yea," and motioned towards the big, tanned man with spiky white hair and thick sideburns, "Have Elfman do the rest." Rest of what?

Elfman looked curiously in between the both of them before following his guarding partner.

"Laxus," the blonde paused before turning the corner, "Don't tell my father."

Don't tell his father what?! I thought as I watched them walk away, Are they just going to let him kill me?!

As soon as they were out of sight I did the first that came to mind. I kneed him in the balls. He went down with yelp of pain, clutching himself, as I fled for the window. Jumping, I hooked my arm around the tree, slid partway down, jumped the last few feet, and sprinted for the only place I saw that had covering. The woods. I never gave a second thought to the black convertible sitting idly in front of the house, or to the guy with dark blue - almost black - hair watching me from the driver's seat.

"That b*tch!" Natsu hissed out through his teeth as he crawled up to his knees, "And I was the one who f*ckin' helped her out..." His phone rung as he finally made it to his feet and leaned against the wall, "What?"

"Are you aware that some blonde chic just jumped outta your pops window?"

The salmon-haired boy ran a hand through his hair as he pushed off the wall and started down the hallway towards the main stairs, "Did you see where she went?"

The guy on the other line huffed, "Yea. The girl ran straight for the woods."

"Sh*t," Natsu growled as he picked up the pace and ran out the doors to his second-hand man's car, "Drive, Gray. I want to know why she was here."

And how she knows Mr. Heartfilia.