And here we are again with another chappie of "Hey There!" I nearly died of happiness when I got over 140 reviews for this story! …You guys… You're so awesome! Thank you so much and I hope you continue to enjoy this story and I'll so you on the other side!
Disclaimer: I completely forgot to put one in the last chappie… Mashima-senpai don't hate me! I don't own your wonderful story of Fairy Tail or much of anything else for that matter…
Hey There… Ch. 11
"Ugh, my head," Lucy mumbled as she stirred. "Where am I?"
"You are actually here in my humble guild, Phantom Lord Miss Heartfilia," a dark, menacing voice chuckled as a tall, black cloaked figure stepped into the light. Lucy tried to stand up, but realized that she was chained to the floor.
"How do you know my name?" Lucy demanded as she tried to keep herself calm.
"Oh, it's very simple," The voice continued and the masked figure revealed his face. "Guild masters tend to know a lot of information about the jobs given to them… You should probably ask your dear daddy when you are reunited with him."
"My father did this?" Lucy gaped at the man in horror. It was my fault Levy was hurt?
"But of course! He told me that he missed his little girl and that he wanted to see her again no matter the cost."
"But my father and his closest advisors are in jail… How could he orchestrate something like this?" Lucy asked in confusion. There are VERY few ways of making a lot of money quickly that were legal… Unfortunately, Father didn't choose a legal route…
"My dear, you seem to be behind on the times!" the man that Lucy guessed was the guild master smirked and whipped out a newspaper and showed the front page to her. "This ought to catch you up to speed."
Lucy skimmed the front page to find a flaming building and a headline that read, "Prison Break: Heartfilia is Loose!"
"I wonder how much he will pay to have his daughter, his heir, returned to him safe and sound?" the dark man hummed to himself.
"I'm not his heir!" Lucy spat venomously. "I want nothing to do with that filthy money; you can have every single jewel for all I care."
"Hmmm, I guess you don't realize your true value… Unless you're lying to me," the guild master murmured as a wicked grin grew on his face. "Gajeel! I think it's time we got some answers. Could you please come and question our honored guest? It seems like she needs some help remembering some very important information. Oh! I almost forgot; keep her in one piece."
"Gihihi," a monster of a man chuckled as he stepped out of the shadows. The man had a long, untamed mane of ink colored hair and was studded all over his face and his arms. What made Lucy shudder, however, were his blood red eyes that seemed to search for any and all weaknesses. "I'll be sure to ask some good questions…"
"Dammit!" Natsu roared as he paced the rooftop once more in frustration; trying to see if there were any clues that would lead his nose back to her scent trail. The pinkette yanked his cell phone out of his pocket to call Erza to report the disappointing news.
"Did you find anything?"
"No," Natsu moaned as rounded the rooftop once more with agitation in every step. "I think they took to the air or something; the scent trail stops abruptly on a rooftop and I've already searched the ground around the building in a five block radius and there isn't even a hint of her or the people who took her…"
"Well, I'd like to tell you that we will send you back up, but with everyone gearing up for the raid, I'm afraid that no one can be spared," Erza coolly replied with a sigh.
"Can't you at least spare o-" Natsu cut off as he spied a small mark partially hidden by a crate. Natsu muttered curses under his breath as he went to go investigate.
"Natsu? Natsu! What did you find?" Erza asked, trying desperately to bring the dragon slayer's focus back to the conversation. When Natsu threw the crate behind him, he swore loudly.
"It was Phantom Lord," Natsu said quietly as he scanned the area for any more hidden guild flares. "I just found a maker with the guild crest and I know that only Phantom members could've seen the light it projected. Please tell me I can go thrash some idiots."
"We'll be right behind you. Have fun storming the castle," Erza said with barely contained rage and promptly disconnected the call.
"You're damn right I'm going to have fun," Natsu said as his pupils momentarily turned into slits and the magic flowing within him burned to be used. "I think it's about time I paid a visit to Jose…"
"Tell me what I want to know dammit!" the studded man growled as he turned his arms into iron rods and drilled them into her sides once more.
"I… have no idea… what you're talking about!" Lucy wheezed through clenched teeth and tried to pick herself up off the ground to be punched back down.
"I'm getting real tired of the run around blondie," he stated with barely concealed annoyance and kicked her into the wall, knocking the air out of her lungs. Lucy gasped for air as she tried to pull herself up into a sitting position, but her efforts were cut short by Gajeel yanking her up by her hair. "I want answers. Tell me where your old man hid his stash!"
"I don't know!" the blonde shouted at him before she was thrown onto the ground once more.
"I don't like that tone blondie," Gajeel spat as he stepped on her arm, breaking it. The man was mildly impressed that she didn't scream, or cry out in pain; the woman just leveled her gaze with his without an ounce of fear and shot him a death glare he was slightly intrigued by as well.
"You're going to be in a world of hurt when Fairy Tail comes for me," Lucy stated calmly, as if they were sitting down for an afternoon tea rather than being tortured.
"I'm not too concerned about any of those fairies," Gajeel scoffed as he kicked her in the side again. "Especially not the Salamander; that fire lizard is no match for my iron hide."
"See, that's where you're wrong," the celestial mage taunted between pained breaths. "Fairy Tail doesn't take too kindly to its members being kidnapped and tortured. They're going to be out for revenge. And by 'Salamander' you mean Natsu, then I feel sorry for you because you're not going to like when he finds out you were the one who tortured his partner."
"That wimp needs a partner?" Gajeel scoffed as he stepped back from the blonde and crossed his arms in front of his broad chest. "I think that I can take him on with one hand tied behind my back."
"I think you just signed a death warrant. He doesn't need one. He wanted one," Lucy replied as they continued their intimidation contest.
Phantom Lord's members who were at the main branch were having a lazy day relaxing in their guild hall until the front doors of the hall burst into flame and were kicked inward. As smoke began to fill the hall, a single hooded figure with a white scaly scarf stepped slowly through the fire, not caring that the flames licked at his seemingly untouched clothing.
"Now I'm only going to ask this once so listen up," the black hooded figure raised his head so that the entire guild could see the glowing red eyes sweeping across their ranks. "Where is my partner Lucy?" The thugs were silent; either by fear or lack of knowledge. "I guess I'm going to have to ask a little less nicely," the male growled and launched himself into a mass of enemies. There was no escape for any of the unfortunate lackeys as they were soundly pummeled into the floor.
"Fire dragon's iron fist! Winged slash! And talons!" Natsu roared as he took on 20 plus men at a time. As he worked his way down to the last members who were still conscious, he grabbed hold of two miscreants and snarled into their faces. "Where is the blonde woman you took? Answer me now!"
The poor idiots were blubbering and tripping over their sentences when a host of fairies made their entrance.
"Oi flame dick!" a mildly amused Gray called as he stepped over unconscious bodies. "Try to save a few for the rest of us! Did ya find Lucy?"
"I'm getting that information now," the pinkette ground out as he shook the two men in his clutches. "You heard me! Where is she?"
The two men wailed and one of them decided to speak. "S-she's not h-here! Jose moved her to headquarters right after she arrived here. Please don't kill me!" At this news, Natsu smashed the two whimpering males' heads together to render them unconscious.
"Who knew you could actually be serious," Gray joked and turned around to walk out of the guild.
"I'm getting impatient," Natsu hissed as he roared flame into the rafters of the guild in frustration and stomped out after the black haired male.
The entirety of the unharmed Fairy Tail guild stormed Phantom Lord headquarters without much of a plan.
"Okay, I'll enter from the back with about a quarter of the forces, Natsu and Gray, you lead the main attack force through the front. I want you two to split up once you get inside and see if either of you can find Lucy. Are we clear?"
"Aye sir!" They both yelled and led the charge into the front of the guild headquarters. They were instantly greeted by opposing mages and as they cleared a path, they noticed two staircases winding in different directions.
"Okay, I'll take the left staircase and you take the right. Whoever finds Lucy first will get her out of here and then come back into the fray. Sound good?" Gray asked as he made an enemy into a snowman.
The pinkette simply nodded in response and bolted towards the staircase on the right, blowing anyone who opposed him back with a fire dragon's roar. He took the stairs two and three at a time, not even slowing down to fight other enemies. I have to find Lucy! Natsu frantically thought to himself as he scented the air for any whiff of the blonde and was rewarded with a strong trail leading up to one of the top floors.
As he neared the door closest to the stairway, he heard a gruff male voice yelling and Lucy's voice snapping right back at him. He chuckled a little as he saw, in his mind's eye, giving her captors a tongue lashing for having the gall to take her. Without any more prompting, Natsu took in a deep breath and set the door on fire before kicking it down.
Lucy openly stared at the figure who appeared in the smoke and flames with awe. The hooded figure then quickly surveyed the room and when the hood met Lucy's face, she could only see glowing red eyes that sent chills down her spine. He looks like an enraged fire dragon with all of the smoke and flames surrounding him Lucy thought to herself as she struggled into a sitting position.
"You better have a good reason to explain why my partner looks like she does," the male growled as he lit himself entirely on fire and started walking slowly into the room.
"Gihi! I thought that I wasn't going to have any fun; I take it you're the Salamander this whore has been whining about?" Gajeel grinned as his skin turned into metal scales.
Oh my Mavis! Lucy's thoughts yelled at her as she watched the man before her take off his hooded black leather jacket to reveal a black and gold trimmed vest that oddly enough worked well with his pink hair, white scarf, some nice form fitting black leather pants and the black combat boots he was sporting. I think this dragon can come save me any day… Lucy shook her head to clear it of her preposterous thoughts and watched the two men close in on each other.
"Luce, I'm going to need you to get as far away from here as possible," Natsu quietly spoke as he raised his fists. "I don't want you to be around to see this and possibly get caught up in it."
"Sweet gesture pinkie, but she's not going anywhere with a broken arm and leg," Gajeel smirked as he readied his own fists. Natsu cursed and sure enough when he quickly glanced back at Lucy, one of her legs was twisted in an unnatural way and her arms didn't look symmetrical.
"I've had enough of you," Natsu growled and then started a flying punch towards his opponent. "Fight me ya metal bastard!"
Lucy's dad is a thug! Woo! And Natsu is going guano crazy! Anyone get the reference? Eh? Eh? Well anyways, who's liking Natsu's fiery rampage? I'm hoping I'm doing justice to his burning hatred (pun intended) towards people who mess with his family; he has a nasty habit of setting himself on fire… And guess what we have to start off the next chappie? Natsu vs. Gajeel!
A very special thank you to Animallover, Mia Anime, Iroshiya H, Meowy Meow, MyuPanChan, fanficlove2014, fanficaddict14, Dog's Paw Burning In Hot Ash, NaLu and InuKag, mindmybiz, and Cat for your truly amazing reviews! Thank you so very much for your critiques, comments, and encouragements!
Thank you again for reading my story and until the next installment, buh-bye! :D