Lucy looked to the left and then right, yawned, and then did the same again. Cupping her face in her hands, she tried to warm it from the cold gust of winds that had been blowing into her face for the past half hour.
"Well aren't you early." The annoying voice spoke again.
"You are the one who was late! You said 6 in the morning! Look at what time it is now!" Lucy stretched out her pocket watch aggressively at the man.
"Well, little details." Joel waved off.
Rolling her eyes, Lucy proceeded to business.
"So, you gonna tell me about the Anonymous?"
"Patience lass. Let's go grab a coffee." With that, he turned on his heels and signalled for the girl to follow.
Under normal circumstances, she would've refused, but coffee sounded great to kill the cold right now so she obliged.
"Well, if they had to look for Lucy's landlady, it must mean that they have lost Lucy." Erza deduced hypothetically.
"Then how do you explain the blood?!" Natsu countered fierily.
Erza decided to ignore the hot headed boy since everything he says basically translates to 'Lemme outta here! Lemme track Lucy!'
"So what now?" Gray asks.
After much hesitation, Erza finally decides to set hell loose.
"We let Natsu track her."
"HELL YEAH!"
"How did you find me?" Lucy questions the man sitting across her, finger tapping impatiently on her arm as they are set in akimbo.
The man chuckles and takes another sip from his coffee. Annoyed, Lucy yanked the cup from him, ignoring the fact that she had accidentally spilled some over the table.
"This is your third cup! Can you seriously start talking?!"
Raising a brow, the man took out a napkin and started wiping the mess she caused.
"Why are you all the way here, in Iceberg?"
"I'm the one asking the questions." Lucy tried to set her superiority over him but his smug smile that came soon after told her it failed.
Realising the man isn't going to answer anything before she does, she resigned to doing so.
"Because-" Lucy stopped herself when she realised the connection. "You! Your guild! Here!"
And came Joel's chuckle again.
"Ironic really. I was returning to my guild in order to officially quit it and then I saw you on the same train. The girl that put me through all this." The man gestured at the gash on his face that looked like it would leave a scar.
Lucy frowned. "I didn't do that to you..."
"You didn't. But Kyle did after you 'played' him."
At this, Lucy's eyes went wide.
"O-oh... sorry."
Joel laughed again and Lucy got really ticked off.
"What?!"
"You are way too good natured."
Pouting, Lucy settled back into her chair and the man turned into a serious note that took Lucy of guard.
"A lot of shit happened after you left Fiore."
"A lot of shit happened before I even left Fiore." Lucy commented.
Smiling, the man continued.
"Drake is going to stop at nothing to get to you. He already blew up your landlady's place to show for it."
"WHAT?! Why? And who's Drake?"
"There's a huge bounty on your head and Drake want's that bounty." As an afterthought, Joel added in. "Badly."
Letting out an exasperated sigh, Lucy asked the million dollar question. "And why on Earthland is there such a huge bounty on my head?"
"Why don't we figure that out together?"
Lucy stared at the guy incredulously.
"Did you just seriously ask that?"
Joel shrugged nonchalantly and Lucy scoffed.
"What makes you think I would trust you?" Lucy bit at him.
Stating the obvious, he answered, "I don't."
Then, he proceeded to the bargain. "But there will be benefits if you work with me."
"Oh yeah? Like what?" Lucy's voice was still filled with disbelief.
Sticking a finger out at every point, he began, "I know this area better than you do, I know the nature of my guild better than you do, I am stronger than you are-"
However, before he could even move on, Lucy held a hand out in front of his face.
"Hold up, who ever said you are stronger than me?"
"The two incidents where I knocked you out before you could even do anything to me." He replied smugly.
Lucy growled at the man and stood up.
"Going somewhere?" Joel asked dauntingly.
However, before Lucy could even say anything, she was yanked down by the man and forced to hide under the table.
"What are you-"
Joel covered her mouth and looked to the door of the shop. Normally, curious gazes would've fallen on the duo but the shop was relatively empty due to the hour and saved them from any unwanted attention. Following Joel's intent gaze, she found a burly man walk in followed by a woman. As the two settled into one of the inner most seats, Joel released his grip from Lucy and clicked his tongue.
"Shit."
"What is it? Who's that?" At this point, both were conversing in hushed tones.
"Drake."
Once again, Lucy's eyes went wide and her chocolate brown eyes flew back and forth from Joel to Drake and vice versa.
"And who's that girl?"
"My partner, Kate."
Pausing for a bit, Lucy asked, "What now?"
"We leave."
"No. NO FREAKING WAY!" Natsu yelled ferociously and fought aggressively against Erza's death grip.
"THERE IS NO WAY IN HELL THAT I'M EVER GONNA BOARD THAT TRAIN!"
The rest of the gang stared at the immature brat as Erza tried to get him in line. Finally, Levy decided to take out the manipulative line.
"For Lucy."
Natsu immediately froze and quietly, but unwillingly, let the scarlet haired girl carry him in.
After 10 ridiculous minutes of stealth crawling, Lucy and Joel finally made their way to the back of the shop and into the alleyway.
"Okay, what now?" Lucy inquires, voice returned to its normal level.
"Find a bathroom."
"What? Why?"
"I had three cups of coffee! I'm desperate."
Lucy face-palmed and desperately wanted to poke in on so many things but decided against her better judgement to not.
Back in the café, the other two continued with their conversation, oblivious to the events that transpired right under their nose.
"What now?" Kate asked her superior.
"We'll return to the guild and get more people to search the city."
"What ever for?"
"Because the target is most likely in this town."
"Okay, seriously, what now?" Lucy asked the relieved man who was finally done with his 'business'.
At this point, Joel's expression was a hard one. He stared at the sky for awhile to analyse it.
Seems like a blizzard's brewing...
Finally, he answered, tone serious, "Go home and rest up. Be on your toes and make sure no one finds you."
"What?! That's it?" Lucy couldn't believe her ears.
"Tomorrow, meet up at the train station at 3 in the morning."
"Is it just me, or are your timings getting earlier and earlier?"
As though Lucy had been very unreasonable, the man just snapped, but contained himself, "Just-! ...Do as I say..."
Taken aback by the man's sudden change in character, Lucy decided to just do as she was told and nodded.
"O-okay..."
That Evening...
By now, the blizzard that grazed the town was at full force and Joel barely managed to get into his soon-to-be-ex guild in one piece.
"Hey Joel, back early huh?" A man behind the Anonymous's guild bar called out in sarcasm.
Joel said nothing but glared at the man.
"Woah... did something happen again? Drake was also pretty pissed..."
"Patrick." Joel's way of telling the man to shut up.
Slamming a few jewels on the bar, Joel ordered a drink to which Patrick gladly provided. Taking one gulp, Joel got to the point.
"Where's Drake?"
"In the Master's quarters. It seems like he's planning to rally up a few members to search the city."
"In this blizzard?! Has he gone mental?! Whatever for?!"
"Don't know. Something 'bout searching for a target or something."
Automatically, Joel grimaced in his heart. Looks like they might have to move sooner than planned and in a blizzard no less.
"Where's Master?"
"Why?"
"Just answer the damn question."
Normally this would've put people off but Patrick knew this was Joel's normal temper and he was a rather patient man himself so he just answered as per normal.
"In the Master's quarter, listening to Drake's ludicrous suggestion. Why?"
Dropping a few jewels into the tip jar, Joel bid his friend goodbye.
"Thanks mate. Hope we see each other from time to time."
Puzzled but asking no questions, Patrick saw his friend enter the Master's quarters.
"Joel? What are you doing?" His Master questioned in shock when his 'meeting' was interrupted.
Joel shot Drake a glare before proceeding inside and shutting the door.
"Just here to tell you I quit."
"Joel..."
"Let's just get this over and done with."
With that said, Joel took off his coat and pulled his shirt collar down just enough for the insignia to be fully viewable. Slowly, his Master made his way to him and with a tap, the emblem was gone.
"Adios! Suckers!" Joel called out behind him as he made his way out of the room and all this while, Drake just remained silent.
When the door finally closed shut, the Master turned to Drake, sympathy in his eyes.
"Pity... That's another good man gone..."
Closing his eyes, Drake ignored that comment.
"As I was saying..."
"Joel!" Kate called out to her former partner as he exited the guild.
"Kate! Where have you been?!" Joel called back, voice trying to beat the howling gust of blizzard winds.
Instead of answering immediately, Kate dragged him into a nearby book store to take shelter from the snowstorm.
"I was looking for you!" Then realising that she needn't raise her voice anymore, she adjusted her volume, "Have you quit the guild?"
Lowering his collar once more, he answered her with his bare collarbone.
"Why?" She gasped in disbelief.
"Kate, I need you to listen to me."
Midnight
*Knock* *Knock*
Lucy slowly rose from her bed. It was midnight and the blizzard was still raging on outside. Reluctantly, Lucy lifted herself of the bed and made her slow approach to the door. All this while, the rapping on the door repeated. It was funny, really, Lucy thought, that she could already guess who was behind that door just from the impatient rapping.
"Joel?" She asked as she opened the door.
Before she knew it, Joel had pushed pass her and pulled her into the room, closing the door behind him.
"J-Joel?"
"Okay, listen, we don't have much time so be quick and don't ask any questions."
"Wha-?!"
"Quickly! Dress up!"
Sensing the pressure and seriousness, Lucy did as she was told. At first, she was hesitant to change with a guy in the same room since there was no personal bathroom in this hotel, but Joel was busy looking out of the door hole so she decided to just go with it.
"Done." Lucy announced as she strapped her boots on and Joel immediately grabbed her by her hand and jumped out of the window.
A/N: I'm on a roll here! I just kept writing and writing and my mum was getting a little annoyed since she can't catch up with the speed I'm uploading XD Well, everyone, MERRY CHRISTMAS! I just hope this chapter wasn't too boring with all the talking =/