5 weeks had passed since that day.
She fluttered her eyes open in the darkness. The hard ground beneath her ached her neck.
Her cheek and arms were stained with dirt. Dirt from the dark cell she had been locked in.
She was given a meal and one cup of water a day.
She would always leave her plate full, though. Her bones had become weak and fragile because of it. A bite or two was all she could stomach.
How could she have been so stupid?
Unlocking the cell, a fair-skinned girl with ocean-blue hair walked in, holding a plate full of food and a glass of water.
She walked towards the blonde seated at the corner of the cell on the hard-bricked ground.
"Time for food," she smiled, "And I'm Juvia, by the way," she placed her tray and glass beside her legs.
Lucy did not respond. It was always that same face bringing her food, at that same hour.
It was the only time she had cared to say her name, though. Lucy noticed this.
Mira probably had a talk with her. Asked her to be nicer.
"Would you like some company?" Her head tilted as a faint blush greeted her cheeks.
She was acting like they weren't monsters, Lucy thought. And she hated the façade.
She didn't respond. Her knees were up as her arms circled around them, making herself smaller.
"Are you cold?" Juvia asked. "It's a little chilly in here,"
The blonde, again, was silent. She wasn't going to entertain small talk. Not in her condition, and certainly not with her detainers.
Juvia sighed,
"I'll get you a change of clothes, 'kay?" She turned to walk out, not awaiting a reply.
"Thank you," Lucy said, stopping her briefly.
She didn't disregard her kindness.
"Of course," she responded with a smile before she locked the cell and left.
And then she was alone again.
.oOo.
Meanwhile, the Don was drinking at the bar in their hidden Fairy Tail space.
Everyone had been quiet the past few weeks. Not as lively as they were. At least not when the Don was around.
Lately, he was always on edge.
"So, what're ya plannin' on using her for?" The metalhead spoke, taking a seat next to him. Boldly.
No one had dared to for a while now.
"Has she eaten?" He questioned, staring ahead with a blank expression before he took a sip of his drink.
He had been made aware of her full plates.
"No," Mira responded. Her eyes saddened as she dried the mug. She felt bad for her. She knew the girl was innocent in all this.
They were the Mafia. Killing wasn't out of the ordinary. And as much as she was glad Jude Heartfilia was dead, the girl had nothing to do with it.
Mira's heart was always bigger than the rest. Especially that she was going to be a mother.
She did have that other side to her, though. A side no one would cross. Not even Laxus. That was why people called her the She-Devil.
"Mhm," he replied.
He placed his empty glass on the bar before he walked out.
"Ya think he's goin' in there himself?" Gajeel asked as he watched him leave.
"I hope not," Mira sighed. "You know how he can be..."
.oOo.
Lucy's Cell
She heard heavy footsteps approach her in the darkness. Well, it wasn't completely dark. There were candles of fire patterned on each side of the walls. All but a faint light from her cell.
And someone was walking through that hall.
She could guess who it was, just from how the guards stood stiff.
She felt her breathing grow heavier. She tightened her grip around her knees.
With his hands in his pockets, he looked down at her full plate from in between two bars as he stood.
"I heard you were wasting our food."
That voice. That skin-shredding voice.
And that face. That same face.
She had not seen that face ever since that day.
And she could never dread it more. That salmon hair. Those jade eyes.
He unlocked her cell with his master key. A key that only he possessed. It could open any door, any cell, and even any drawer in his entire mansion and estate. Anything with a lock, at that.
"Y-You..." she dared speak. She meant to sound resentful, but it came out scared, if anything.
He approached her, looking down at her weak body.
"Nathan." She said. Now that sounded resentful.
He couldn't help but chuckle.
He crouched down, looking into those brown eyes of hers.
"The name is Natsu. Natsu Dragneel. And don't you forget that."
She spat in his face, right in his eye. Saliva strung onto his lashes.
The guard outside stiffened with his eyes wide. They all did, a matter of fact.
Never had anyone dared to do so.
She was dead.
One guard clenched his gun as he tried to approach, but Natsu raised his hand, stopping him in his place.
The guard stepped back.
He took out a handkerchief from the inside of his suit jacket and wiped his eye.
"That was weak," he said. "Barely any saliva came out." He looked into her eyes once more. "Are you drinking your water?"
The guards looked at each other in confusion. That was not the anticipated reaction.
Her mouth was dry. She had been sending her cups half-full back with Juvia.
"And why the hell do you care?!" Her voice raised.
He was quiet.
"Do you want to die?" He spoke. "Do you want your father's death to go in vain?... He died in your place, you know." He said calmly. He was always calm.
She was silent, gulping harshly down her throat.
"It is your fault that you are locked in here," he stated. "If you hadn't tried running away the first day when I had granted you a chamber of your own, you might've liked it better here." He said sighing as he stood.
"If you are on good behavior, I might consider handing you back your chamber," he said as he walked away.
"Start by finishing off that plate of yours."
With that, he was gone. The guards locked her cell.
Tears streamed down her cheeks. The tears she was holding back. She couldn't let him see her tremble in fear of him. She wouldn't give him that power.
With a few sniffles, she reached down to her fork and took a bite of her food.
.oOo.
Lucy's Apartment
Loke was asleep, laying in her bed.
He has been spending most of his days in her apartment. To be around her clothes, her sheets, her books, her scent.
She was gone for over a month now, and he had no idea where she was.
He knew who she was with, though.
He put the pieces together.
Last place she went to was her father's.
With Nathan.
When a day passed with no response from her, he hastened to her father's mansion.
And they were all gone. The house was empty and quiet as if it hadn't been touched for years.
He searched room for room and found nothing.
Police scattered around the place that same night. He had called them and reported Lucy Heartfilia missing. It ached his heart.
Levy has been by his side, forcing him to eat and take care of himself. He was so swallowed up in the investigation that he stopped caring for anything else.
Levy was worried too. She was now back working at her restaurant, keeping herself busy. Any moment when she was alone with her thoughts, she would cry, yearning for her best friend.
It was hard on both of them.
Only Levy thought she was dead.
Loke did not.
He knew she was out there.
She had to be.
And he was going to find her.
Ring-Ring Ring-Ring
Loke gasped awake. He scrabbled for his phone on her bedside table and quickly answered it.
"Hello?" He said, anticipating an important call from his friend, who was also the officer on this case since it was 3:00 a.m. in the morning.
"Leo, sorry to call so late but I have some important news."
"What is it?" He sat up on the bed.
"We found footage on surveillance cameras on the street right by the Heartfilia Mansion,"
"And?"
"You might wanna come in to see this,"
.oOo.
Lucy's Cell
The friendly face walked in, holding a new set of laundered clothes.
"Here," she handed them to the blonde. Her hands were full of dirt, she almost didn't want to touch them from how expensive the fit looked. "They're from your chamber's closet. Natsu had arrangements to buy you a new wardrobe when you first came," she smiled.
Pfft. Talking as if he was doing her a favor.
She hated it.
She didn't want it anymore. Not if it was from him.
But to get out of here, she had to be on 'good behavior.'
After 5 whole weeks of enduring this damned cell, she'd do nearly anything to get out.
"Can I have a shower?" She asked. "I don't wanna ruin the clothes..."
Juvia hesitated. She didn't have the power to decide that.
Every two weeks, they would get her a bucket of water that she would wash over her. But it wasn't enough.
At least they would let her out for bathroom breaks, though. A guard would accompany her to the restroom. She didn't need to use it much though—she barely ate or drank anything for it.
"I'll ask Natsu for you, okay?" Juvia responded as she laid her clothes on the ground next to her.
The blonde silently nodded as she leaned her chin against her arms. She was still curled up in that same corner.
As Juvia was walking out,
"Hey, Juvia..." the blonde spoke, stopping her.
The bluette turned. It was weird, Lucy barely spoke that many words to her over the past few weeks.
"Can you also let him know that I finished my plate?" She lightly pushed her empty tray towards Juvia on the ground.
She giggled as she picked it up, alongside her empty cup.
"Of course,"
.oOo.
Police Station
Loke entered his friend's office.
"Come quick," the friend gestured, not taking his eyes off his computer.
Loke closed the door behind him and looked out the small window it held, making sure no one was around to hear their conversation.
He then walked over to him and stood behind his chair, leaning down on the desk as he looked at the computer screen.
"What exactly am I looking at here, Macao?" He asked.
The officer replayed the video.
"Watch," he said, pointing to the jet-black car that was parallel parked on the road near the mansion.
A few seconds later, a man wearing a black suit was holding a certain blonde over his shoulder, with five men walking behind him. They all got in the car and left. Limos traveled behind them, about 4.
Loke widened his eyes. He was sure it was her. It had to be. It was a little dark to tell, but he was sure.
"Nathan, that bastard." He cursed. "I fucking knew it, I knew he was too good to be true." He slammed the desk with his fist.
Now he was sure she was kidnapped. She didn't run away like how he was almost starting to believe. She was taken.
The officer sighed,
"Calm down now, we don't wanna cause a fuss," Macao said.
"Can you get the license plate?" Loke asked, squinting to see if it was visible in the video.
He sighed,
"I ran it through the system. But the database showed no results," he responded. "Whoever these people are, they're no ordinary people."