Lucy opened her eyes to see that it was finally day time. She had drifted off to sleep not long ago. Her dreams were filled with images of Erza laying lifeless before her. Lucy sat up and looked around the room. Now that the light was seeping into the room, she could make out her surroundings. There was some chains on the wall and a staircase. When she went to stand up her hand brushed against something. She looked beside her and gasped. Lying there lifeless was a man's dead body.

'That must have been the thumping last night! Kaito must have dragged him down here...' Lucy thought. She couldn't resist the urge to throw up. She leaned to the side and started gagging. The room was hot and the stench of the dead body was starting to fill the room. Lucy stood up weakly and used the wall to help guide her to the staircase. She looked up it and saw a door. She put one foot on one of the steps and heard someone at the door. 'Great...' Lucy thought as she stumbled back over to the wall. She sat down and tried to keep her eyes off the body laying not even three feet from her. She could hear the door opening and footsteps proceeded down the steps. Lucy took a deep breath but then regretted it as her broken ribs caused her to cringe in pain.

"Does it hurt?"

Lucy could hear the laughter in his voice. It was the same man who came in last night and broke her ribs. She still had not found out his name, but she now could see what he looked like. He was a tall muscular guy with deep red hair. He had a smirk on his face as he stepped closer to Lucy.

"So what is Erza Scarlet to you?"

"None of your business."

"Aww come on. Do you really want a repeat of last night? All you have to do is say what she is to you." He put a foot on Lucy's injured wrist and she gasped.

"I'm not telling you a damn thing so you might as well kill me."

"Fine by me." He said as Lucy's screams started filling the room.

…...

Erza jolted awake with sweat covering her body. She had not slept very well last night. She kept hearing Lucy's screams in her nightmares. Erza got up out of bed and walked into the bathroom and started a bath. She looked into the mirror. Her bangs were sticking to her forehead from the sweat. She got undressed and stepped into the bath. Erza sunk lower and lower until her head was under the water.

'Lucy...where are you right now? Are you safe? If they hurt you I swear I will kill every last one of them.' Erza shot up out of the water after the image of a dead child came back to her memories. 'Damn those Dragons!' Erza got up out of the tub and dried off and re-quipped into her armor before running out of her home. She couldn't sit still any longer.

…...

Natsu and Gray were sitting at the bar waiting for Mira to get back with a permission to go save Lucy. They had been there all night sitting in silence. Happy flew into the guild and stopped in front of Natsu.

"Natsu! I found the place!"

"Really Happy!?"

"Aye! Romeo told me what the guys looked like and I found them. They have the guild mark that he showed me as well!"

"Hey Gray what do you say about heading out now?"

"We can't leave Erza."

"You don't have to. Let's get going."

Natsu and Gray turned around in their seats to see Erza standing in the doorway. "Did you run all the way here Erza?"

"Yes now are you coming?"

"Aye! Let's go save Lucy!"

…...

"You should have just told them what they wanted to know."

"..."

"I'm sorry it turned out like this Lucy. Kenji can go overboard sometimes."

"...Yeah..."

"Well I cleaned your wounds as much as I could. Try not to move around a lot."

"Why are you so nice to me?"

"I never wanted this life. Helping you makes me still believe I can help others."

"..."

"By the way I'm Azami. Kenji is my older brother."

"Azami...thank you."

"You're welcome Lucy. I'll be back later with something for you to eat." Azami walked up the stairs and Lucy heard the door shut softly.

'You can help others Azami. You just have to try.' Lucy sunk lower into the darkness that had been dragging her down since Kenji beat her. Now Lucy couldn't move around as well as before. He had broken her arm and one of her legs. He had tried to rape her but Azami saved her. 'Erza...'

…...

"So Erza why are the Dragons after you anyway?"

"It's a long story Natsu."

"Then give us the shorter version."

Erza looked at Gray and sighed. "I was on a job about a week ago. Their leader Hotaru had been attacking innocent people that came anywhere near her guild. I was sent to stop her. We fought and I won by cutting her left arm off. I thought that if I let her live everything would be fine. I guess I was wrong." Erza clenched her fists. "I should have killed her."

"We're going to bring Lucy back Erza. Don't worry."

"I know Gray. I know."