Peacocks rested in trees, the atrium was indoors, a dome of glass keeping it spacious and trees were plentiful, as were carefully crafted truly beautiful features that were made to create a fantasy garden of lush plants, winding paths, secluded grottos and thickets. Streams ran, waterfalls tossed fresh clean water to them and into pools here and there. One even fed a steaming hot spring water into a pool that was azure blue. The plants were placed dense so that privacy could be had in the places where the little clearings were and the area was spacious and sprawled over about the same area as a city block, dominating the center of the Palace in Romell Pergrand.

Were it not for the fact the King of Pergrand kept his harem there, and rewarded senators and high ranked members of the military and nobility by letting them spend time there and enjoy his slaves, it would have been one of the most beautiful places in Pergrand. But it was…in fact…where King Raimarc Karadin kept his pleasure slaves, where they lived out their entire lives in some cases.

Raimarc himself was a Green Mage. He used his magic to make his gardens exceptional and…serviceable. If a slave displeased him…they sometimes became…fertilizer, and all of them knew it, the Senators and others who visited the Palace also knew it…and some would politely and deftly side step offers to enjoy themselves there because…trust was not something that ran high among the upper levels of Pergrandian society. Raimarc was 65 years old and had been King since he was 15. He'd made stifling policies more so regarding slavery and how it was managed in the country.

He'd also made the entire playing field…dangerous…for any who had to live within that upper level. Nobody failed to notice that the 65 year old still looked and moved and lived like someone in their 30s Green mages aged slowly, some living hundreds of years…so, for what he was, Raimarc was young and he was, one of the most brutal Kings in Pergrands history. It would be easy…it WAS easy, for the King to get rid of rivals here, and there were senators and members of the nobility who had walked into the Gardens and never been seen or heard from again. It took a certain level of confidence and bravado for anyone to walk within it and that was in the eyes and the demeanor of Marquess Gregorian Damascas as he strolled along, looking unhurried while he headed toward the area he'd been told the King was relaxing in.

Gregorian was 30 years old, had grown up under this King, he knew his way around politics and the upper circles of nobility, he was one of few who handled Raimarc well, though…he had lash scars from a whipping he'd endured 3 years earlier when he'd opposed the King's proposal to tighten laws on the upper crust regarding children born to them that were female. The King insisted they be handed over to the labs by age 10 to be harvested and disposed of…Gregorian hadn't agreed, he felt if nobility could afford to deport their female children out of the country…they should be allowed to do so. His staunch refusal to budge on that position, aligning him with Raimarcs brother Uram and 8 others on the senate had earned him 50 lashes from a whip in Raimarcs hand…on the senate floor…an example of what happened to those who fought the King's will.

He walked with purpose though. His black hair was cropped in a trendy style, undercut, the top left far longer so it was silken and provided bangs he could peer through with his dark hazel eyes. He was a beauty by any standard, the product of Pergrandian nobility that had sought male beauty for centuries. Six feet tall barefoot, broad shouldered with smooth pale skin and elegantly angled features. He knew how to use his looks…how to use his position and the influence of his family lands and holdings. He was the Marquess of Damascas, the slave city of Pergrand, where every single slave in the country was processed, branded, graded and then sold. Slavery was the backbone of the Pergrandian economy. Slaves cleaned, they worked the fields, tended the animals, maintained the streets and buildings, they fought in the many stadiums as Gladiators and provided those who owned them with whatever was needed from another human being.

Ownership of slaves was mandatory among the nobility and Senate. You couldn't even run for a seat if you didn't own at least 25 slaves and…if you owned Gladiators, that were ranked based on their fighting prowess and wins, and you owned one that made it to "A-Rank" which was the highest of them all…you got an extra vote on anything the Senate addressed. Gregorian…owned 3 A-Rank Gladiators and well over 100 slaves. He was known to be cunning, ruthless and dangerously good at getting other Senators to side with him on issues so it had surprised nobody when he'd been named the Leader of the Senate.

It made him someone who spoke with the King often though…and that wasn't an enviable place to be when you were also known to support "Progressive" views. Still, Gregorian walked the Harem gardens with confidence born of experience. He was half the King's age…but that didn't mean Raimarc could out maneuver him as long as he stayed sharp.

He knew what Raimarc had done to his brother Uram. Uram Karadin was his friend, he had gone to school with him…he'd known Delilah…Urams daughter. It was why he hadn't gone to the reproduction center and put in for children yet..he hated the laws. If he sired a daughter, he wanted to raise that child and give her opportunities…freedom. He could too, he was immensely wealthy and had business contacts outside of Pergrand, he could get a child out and set up where she would not be a female "blemish" on the exclusively male nation.

"I wont ever understand why they think they can…get away with it." a voice Greg identified quickly as Senator Crowley…Baron of Alphenis, the region near the border with Estrelle and the second stop on the Gladiator competition season. The season at Skysreach was nearing its end, soon the top 3 ranks of gladiators would be moved to Alpine Crest, the grand stadium there for the 4 week spring made sense he'd be here, he wanted the King to send The Dark Eagle to Alpine Crest, something Raimarc hadn't done last year.

"Typical females…they think if they have some rare magic or power or gift we won't harvest them…their arrogance and lack of understanding of Pergrand has always led female mages to their doom here. We don't physically breed females…we let Gladiators fuck them if they like that as a reward…and hope they'll get pregnant IF they have low value to us or…after we've already taken an ovary to put into the Reproduction Center banks." Another voice chuckled coldly…that was Lord Julaine, of the province of Julaine to the south, the region that held the majority of Pergrands docks and naval ports.

"Indeed…I own two gladiators that prefer females for sex, so…we keep some…but they've all already been harvested, it's the physical attributes that seem to appeal to the sexual tastes of the Gladiators that seem to be the selection method…Oh! Gregorian, good, you've come." The King's voice came to him as he cleared the foliage that kept this relaxing area semi private. Unsurprisingly Raimarc was lounged back on a chaise, with a slave between his legs sucking on him. Crowley and Julaine were both relaxing as well, sipping wine and watching tow more slaves fucking each other. It was…a typical thing to walk in on here and Gregorian didn't react at all to it, smiling faintly and bowing to the King.

"You did call for me sire, what can I do for you?" Gregorian asked, reaching up to push back silky chocolate colored hair from his calm dove gray eyes.

"You can sign on to an amendment to the Female disposal act. I want females who come here and try to do business while pretending to be male to skip slave processing and go straight to harvest unless they meet the sexual tastes criteria for the foreign born gladiators." Raimarc replied and Gregorian had to fight to keep his expression mild.

"Sire, the laws are already very hard on females...those sent to any stadium have to have been harvested before they go in even though we do hope a gladiator will impregnate them…and you have tried to eliminate females from the process of reproduction through legislation before…the people protested and rioted….violently…the last polls showed 97% of the nation still favors producing children naturally over the fully automated laboratory route…even though we have long since perfected it." Gregorian said in a calm reasonable tone, careful not to sound at all judgmental or chastising…Raimarc…despised females, found them utterly repulsive…but so far, his own semen had only produced…female children, all of the fetuses terminated as soon as their sex was determined..it was why Raimarc had named Urams son Tylan his heir, quietly…while still trying to produce a male himself. He was held by the fact that a King had to produce a male naturally…that only a male produced as a male without medical intervention could become a monarch…it was a law, and a very popular one that the people re-enforced every time Raimarc pushed it to vote again.

"I only want it for females who come into the country pretending to be men. I want that to be illegal and the punishment to be more extreme." Raimarc said, too relaxed under the attentions of his slave to get angry but his voice was firm.

"It's illegal for any woman to pretend she's a man, and that is punishable by slave branding and being sold." Gregorian said.

"I want it worse…I want it to be a guarantee of being harvested and sent to either the Berserkers or to the Gladiator pool." Raimarc said

"It's a good idea, I'll second it to a vote if you pen it Gregorian." Crowley said and Greg had to remind himself not to glare at the man.

"You have a pen, Crowley." He said in a mild tone.

"Yes but yours gathers more votes." Crowley smiled at him, calculated…Crowley knew Gregorian didn't want the damned law…Crowley likely didn't either, but the King did, and staying in the King's favor was always wise.

"I just sponsored the expansion for our military presence on the border with Bellam." Greg pointed out, that hadn't been terribly popular, people were tired of it, they had been fighting with Bellam longer than most people had been alive and the people of Pergrand wanted the border decided and the hostilities to stop…not to send MORE military there…so Raimarc had put it on Gregorian, using the man's popularity with the people to get the expansion through and it had worked, but they all knew Greg wasn't stupid..he wouldn't push for something unpopular again for a while.

"Yes, Gregorian can't sponsor this…it might not be popular with the people, it must be one of you two." The King handily agreed on a long groan as the slave finally got him cum, the man grabbing the slave's dark hair and gagging the man, Greg watching the poor thing tense as his ability to breathe was cut off by the Kings greed for a drawn out orgasm.

"Crowley really should pen it sire, with the season in Alpine Crest about to start he'll be popular right now, if it matters to you, going through him would be wise and have Julaine second it, I'll add my support after it's brought to the floor." Greg said and because he took pity on the slave he added "Will the Eagle be moving soon sire? I'm sending the Steel Wolf tomorrow with Lord Reyvans Gladiators, we decided to move ours at the same time so we could more easily double the guards and assure their comfortable passage."

That got Raimarc to release the slave, instantly keen on the subject of his favorite pet.

"I'd like to send mine in that caravan then, mix my guards with you and Reyvans." He said, nodding.

Duke Esteban Reyvan was the Lord of Ravensdown, a honey hole in Pergrand, rich lands lush with crops and the finest livestock in the country lived there under Reyvans watch and…the man had two A-Rank Gladiators that were very popular on the circuit. The Demon, so named because he was a Demonslayer mage…and because he was absolutely ruthless in the ring, beautiful too, with flowing white hair, a chiseled muscular body and vivid blue eyes. And The Lion. A blonde Minstrellan who had been in A-Rank longer than The Dark Eagle. All gladiators had call names once they had reached the top three ranks, A, B or C…and then started growing their reputations on the circuit traveling between the coliseums that every major city had.

Reyvan was known for his well kept, healthy and lethally well trained Gladiators. Like Gregorian, he rarely allowed them to be handled by anyone but his own guards and himself, selling the pleasure of bathing one after a match rarely, and sex with one far rarer than that. Reyvan and Gregorians careful management of their fighters was why they were at the top of the circuit every year, and having his fighters travel with theirs meant the Kings would be well protected and cared for, not that they normally wouldn't have been, but the Eagle had nearly escaped the last time he'd been transported and the King didn't want to take chances.

"Then I'll send our loading time to your Captain so yours can load when ours do and they can all depart together." Gregorian said, moving, writing down his plans…and also stepping so the slave could retreat behind him, the man was choking, trying to recover from what the King had done to him and not make too much fuss about it, lest the King get angry. It was one of Raimarcs beauties..Kaiden if he remembered right..blonde, built, a healing mage too so precious among the Harem, healers were so painfully rare, the King had the only one known in Pergrand now shaking and working on his own throat hiding behind Gregorians legs so it wasn't obvious.

Uram and Greg both had tried to coax the King into selling him to one of them many times…but the King knew he had something rare and unique in the healer, and…Kaiden was a handsome man..a prime pleasure slave who…could handle Raimarcs rough tastes well, having a cock rammed down his throat and being choked on semen not-withstanding.

"That's our travel plan Sire." He said handing Raimarc the itinerary and Raimarc looked it over, tugging his robes closed and nodding.

"Very good, this looks like a quiet route, I'll let the Captain of my guard know to work with you and Reyvans Captains." The King nodded. Gregorian nodded "Will that be all then sire? I have a good bit of business to see to today." he smiled mildly.

"And attending your King is more important than any of it." Raimarc snapped and Greg bowed his head.

"Always your grace, that is why I came as soon as I got your summon."

Raimarc eyed him but smiled "Yes…you've come to be a fine asset to my rule Gregorian, always remain that way. I wouldn't want to have to repeat disciplinary actions again." he said in a dark tone.

It almost made the whip lash scars all over his back, ass and legs itch…and it took all he had not to narrow his eyes or snarl at the man…tongue running over the carefully filed down fangs in his mouth…realizing they had grown again and he'd need to get them filed and capped again soon…Nobody could find out what his actual magic was, he'd be branded faster than he could blink.

"I am loyal to the crown, my King." He said easily instead, bowed lower so the constriction of his pupils that he felt happen wouldn't possibly be seen…he had very dark brown eyes, so it wouldn't be easy to see his pupils anyway, but he took no chances. Raimarc was too damned smart and too observant.

"Indeed, have a good day Gregorian…I look forward to seeing the Steel Wolf try against my Eagle again next month." Raimarc smiled. Gregorian didn't look at him again though, holding his bow and backing away…he'd been excused…he was leaving. He measured his movements though, if he walked away too fast the King would know he'd hit a nerve…and Greg wouldn't give him that.

As he reached the doors to the gardens his Guards fell in, flanking him. They didn't speak, knew better…it wasn't until he was in the car, and the guards had settled in the front seat, the elegant sedan pulling away from the palace that the one in the passenger seat turned.

"What happened?" He asked and Greg let out a breath.

"Nothing to worry about…just a push to make the laws against females worse…your comrades? They need to leave..they can't continue, they WILL be found out and the new law will go in within a few days, Crowley will pen it quickly, he's licking the Kings boots right now because the Gladiator season in his region starts soon and he's angled for a repeat fight between my best Gladiator and the Kings…the Eagle…the one you're all here to get out." Gregorian replied, waving a hand but his eyes were very serious.

The man driving hissed "Fuck…I TOLD Erza she and Lucy shouldn't have come…we have the Thunder Legion here and even THEY left Evergreen at home."

"It'll be fine Gray, Luce and Erza can handle things." The one in the passenger seat snorted and Greg rubbed his temples, the endless…near insane levels of confidence that man had grated on his nerves and he'd only been working with the undercover group for a couple of weeks now. They were a joint effort from Bosco and Fiore, here to rescue a couple of people, the most notable being the Dark Eagle…from positions of slavery in Pergrand.

Bosco hadn't sent any females though…he was still shocked that after all of his communication with Makarov that the man had sent TWO women in. It was beyond reckless and he'd said so more than once.

"Natsu…you don't get it, it's not about whether they can handle shit…it's about just how dangerous it is if someone sees through the glamorous they have…and there are fucking Berserkers walking around…they can't even go NEAR Skysreach and that's where we need to do our jobs is around the fucking Gladiator rings! If they get caught…they're in a lab having their fucking ovaries harvested then they're dead…Pergrand won't give a shit who they are or what magic they have or any of it…why don't you get that?!" Gray hissed

Gregorian sat silent…this was not a new argument...the Fiorans had been arguing about this since they had arrived and learned just how serious Pergrand was about NOT tolerating women in their midst. For some reason…only Gray and the woman Lucy…seemed to be understanding…Erza and Natsu..were certain it would not be an issue. They had very well crafted glamours that hid their appearance, making both look like decently unattractive men, but Pergrands military had simple glasses a lot of them carried to see through glamorous, so did the police…and Berserkers saw through them naturally…

The elegant green haired man, Freed, had worked steadily on strengthening those glamorous, and Lucy was wisely NOT leaving Gregorian's estate and was working through her male spirits, particularly Loke. Erza though…continued taking ridiculous risks.

"You're a fucking worrier Gray, trust the girls…they know what they're doing, Luce isn't even going out…and Erza can beat the shit out of anyone that looks at her funny." Natsu said lightly, waving a hand as if waving away Gray's concerns.

Gregorian stayed silent as the two bickered all the way back to Gregs stately manor near the center of Romell. The car pulled through the gates and into the garage, the door closing before Greg got out, leaving the two bickering men to follow him inside. Once inside he went to the sitting room….Lucy and Erza and Laxus were all three there and looked up as he came in, he couldn't be silent with Gray and Natsu starting to exchange blows behind him.

He suppressed the urge to growl out of habit, narrowing his eyes and the two men were smashed to the floor…Gregorian used gravity magic…

"Fuck can you two just…NOT." Laxus did growl

Greg looked at Lucy and Erza "You can not go out into public after tomorrow…the King is beefing up the penalties for females pretending to be males...if you are caught..there is no arguing, no begging…there is being harvested then going to your death. Nobody will care who you are or what magic or abilities you have…you will simply be disposed of."

Laxus blanched…Lucy paled…but Erza waved a hand "I will simply be more careful."

Gregorian narrowed his eyes…more than tired of arrogance.

"No…if you continue to go out…I am withdrawing my assistance…if you are caught you will die but it won't end there, they will tear your mind apart and find out why you were here and who helped you and MY life and the lives of all I care about will be in danger. So…either you LEAVE or…you remain on this estate and do not so much as set a toe outside the damned doors or ALL of you leave and never contact me again." Gregorian snapped. All eyes were on him, not that it bothered him…Gregorian didn't have a lot of things he feared anymore, least of all a pack of mages from other countries trying to rescue guildmates.

"I agreed to this because you all know people I know…who have helped me…and I want change in my country and do not agree with what has become of it but that doesn't mean I'm willing to throw my life away for your over inflated egos." He looked pointedly between Natsu and Erza. "You can't shut your mouth…you don't hide well, you make yourself stand out too much and can't be trusted in an undercover position." he said pointing at Natsu.

"And you…" he snapped looking at Erza "Seem to have this warped bullshit idea that the laws here…the societal pressures here…wouldn't apply to you if you were caught!. I swear to you…PROMISE, in front of her…" He nodded toward Lucy "That if you are caught, found out…nobody…not me, not your guilds NOBODY will be able to save you…you will be hauled to the reproduction center, knocked out with drugs that can put an elephant under, your ovaries will be harvested and then, before you're even fully awake? You will be thrown into a blooding den with new Berserkers that will rape you to DEATH. Nobody will care who you are, nobody will give a damn what magic you command…if any of it matters they'll find out with the eggs they collect from the ovaries they take some time after you're long since DEAD!" Greg snapped. "And then? Your friends will be hunted, the same thing will happen to Lucy…I will be stripped of my lands and titles and wealth, branded and given to any number of different nobles as a pleasure slave…and each of you men will be branded and if not sold for pleasure? You would end up in the coliseum system as Gladiators….because nobody CARES who you are, nobody will give a shit what magics you command…this is Pergrand…and you would be enemies and your carelessness would make me into one as well."

He went to the wet bar at the far end of the room and poured himself a drink.

"We know what we're doing…and I can do undercover work." Natsu said, frowning.

"Not when you get into fights and cause disruptions…NONE of my guards ever get involved with that sort of behavior, I'm known for how well disciplined and loyal to me my men are…the first man who made a snide comment at you…you got into a fist fight with." Greg hissed, turning to glare at Natsu who shrugged.

"Part of my cover...it actually makes me stand out less and people don't take me seriously, they think I'm just a stupid hothead." Natsu smiled easily.

"Because you are just a stupid hothead." Gray snapped

"Shove it up your ass." Natsu growled and this time Gregorian growled, Natsu and Laxus' eyes snapping to the man. This was Gregorian's most difficult secret…the most desired men in the world to keep as Gladiators…were Dragonslayers. One hadn't been owned in Pergrand in almost 300 years and they were so rare, and so hard to find and catch, and Gregorian was a Dragonslayer, a fact he kept very very well hidden. Unlike those before him..the ones in Fiore were the only ones well known…and there were entire hunting organizations fighting over who would get a chance at them since the Eclipse Gate incident in Fiore had resulted in tapes of the Grand Magic games being procured and shared so better understanding of what had happened could be had…and the identities and magic specializations of the Fioran Dragonslayers had become public knowledge.

Gregorian glared at the Fiorans, noting…the Boscans had remained quiet through this. They had come with a diverse team, like the Fiorans had…

"One more fight…and you won't set foot near the gladiators again Natsu." Gregorian snapped, "My men don't behave that way, and everyone knows it, it makes you stand out and look suspicious…for that reason you are NOT part of the transport detail."

"WHAT?! Look you don't get to…" Natsu started

"Natsu! He DOES get to say, it's part of the agreement here, and you were warned about a million times on the way here you couldn't let anyone make you mad and you couldn't get into fights!" Lucy had stood up now and stood between Greg and Natsu, not that Gregorian needed protection, Natsu was impetuous and often very reckless, but he wouldn't attack their only hope of getting their mission done.

The Boscans were for the most part…not there. The Day shift was theirs so they were at the coliseum, mapping, prepping security measures to be shut down looking for their targets. At night, Laxus, Bickslow and Freed were to go in, continue the work, Freed would set traps, things to help them escape once they had The Dark Eagle secure. Team Natsu hadn't been working too closely with the Boscans…they were looking for Romeo...and he wasn't in the coliseum…he'd been sold into pleasure work. Laxus and the Raijinshuu had pitched in to help with final preparations to get the man who was Bickslows older brother out…while Lucy and her team had been tracking Romeo. They knew now Romeo was owned by a nightclub owner and he was serving drinks at the mans club…the fact he, unlike Zen, was not in imminent danger of death was why the Raijinshu had joined the Boscans work.

"We had trouble yesterday." Laxus said and Freed frowned.

"Why?" Gregorian narrowed his eyes…he suspected he knew but needed to know for sure before he took action.

"One of the exterior guards? Who we have to go past to get into your area…he propositioned Freed…and did so pretty forcefully…when Freed said no the dude got pushy, tried to follow us all the way into your area…Bix had to…redirect him." Laxus said and Gregorian took a drink from his glass. That meant Bickslow had used magic…

Freed wasn't optional like Erza…he had to set the traps, remove the command collars...because Gregorian couldn't do it, if he touched one it would register that he had and when it was checked, everyone would know Greg had a hand in helping slaves escape.

Gregorian's eyes narrowed. "I'll take care of it…I need to know what he looked like."

"Black hair, brown eyes, corporal, has a trendy shaved spot on his left eyebrow."

Gregorian and the others turned at the new voice as a tall man with wavy black hair streaked with red came from the shadows, his uniform bleeding into snug black leather before he smirked at Gregorian.

"Yeah they won't ever find his body…I saw what he did…problem solved." He said, going to the wet bar to pour a couple more drinks as two more men came through the shadows before the gate the shadowquip had opened closed.

"You…killed someone…" Lucy said quietly. She had been impressed with the Boscan team, White Sea was a massive and successful guild with 7 branches and over 4000 mages. The training, the education and support those mages got…showed. There was the Shadowquip, Bickslows youngest brother, Vander. The energy mage who had apparently been Vanders partner working for the Bloodhunter division of the Boscan military since they were 15, Presca, and then there was the green mage, Rowan, who had an easy smile, a handsome face and ruby colored hair that rivaled Erzas. They were the "Team onsite" supported by several other mages who were in deep cover positions throughout Pergrand, those mages had been why they were working with the Marquess Gregorian Damascas, instead of floundering on their own.

Lucy's brown eyes were on the shadowquip. He was sharp, clearly skilled, in the last two weeks she had seen the man, all three of the men from Bosco just….work. They were tireless, and she knew he and Bickslow both were powerfully driven by the fact that they were here to rescue their brother…the whole story around Zen was just…heartbreaking. She'd gotten a condensed version of it from Bickslow on their way into Pergrand..

Ganier Pradesh, the wife of Arman Pradesh, had come with her husband and two sons while he had settled the new Boscan Embassy in Pergrand. It wasn't that Bosco had been condoning Pergrands heavy slave trade…it was that Arman hoped to work to lessen it, to help Pergrand get away from it's enjoyment and dependance on the slave market. That had been the goal, and it was one Ganier had supported. She hadn't gone out into public much, staying within the Embassy with their two sons, Farron, 4 and Zen, 2. She'd handled secretarial duties, and…she was a Celestial Summoner, the holder of the Enoch set…the Archangels of Kingdom Plane. Arman had been seen in public with her spirits…large powerful Archangels…it was how she had helped him. Safe within the Embassy, her spirits had gone out to work where she could not.

Arman was still viewed…poorly. He was openly married to and in love with a woman. Yes she had birthed two beautiful sons for him…but that only slightly minimized how Pergrandian citizens frowned on him. He did explain…he was patient, diplomatic. Had even taken Farron out with him to a few meetings so Senators and prominent nobility could see he had a wonderful family, had fathered sons (which was always respected in Pergrand then and now)

He had been out with Farron the day the Embassy was attacked, bombs going off within it…decimating every living thing within the complex, it had been horrific what had been done, specialized bombs that only destroyed organic living material, so piles of clothes, empty shoes…plant areas with nothing but dirt, the koi pond clean and fine but no life in it…Ganiers clothes…her shoes…the ruby necklace and one of her earrings was all that was left of her…Zens clothes in a heap with his mothers…

Arman had been horrified…his grief unimaginable, the Boscan military with him had gotten him and Farron out of the country immediately…

They still didn't know how Zen had survived, they had no information on that, though Vander had been trying, had infiltrated the King's Harem, had sought answers…but he was unable to use his most effective methods of getting information since they couldn't leave trails of tortured dead people around. He'd given up on it, concentrating his efforts on getting a path built so Zen could be rescued.

He was handsome…Bickslow's brother…not that Bickslow wasn't…but Vander had this dark edge to him, Lucy worked with predators, Laxus, Gajeel, Natsu…all lethally powerful Dragonslayers…Vander was a different sort of power. He had an ever present faint smile…like the world in general amused him and he was in on some secret joke. He moved fluidly, the only way Lucy could describe it was…he moved like a dancer, like she had seen serious ballet stars move…Vander moved similar to that but with so much more…power…under the surface, you could feel it…sense it with him. Presca was apparently between the two of them the most decorated with the military, Rowan had mentioned that, that Presca had more medals and more confirmed kills than any Bloodhunter in the history of the division…so in theory was the deadliest one there…but Presca was quiet, almost shy, and he spent free time carefully tooling lacrima for use…or reading murder mystery novels..

She liked Rowan, he had gotten all of the plants in Gregorians manor in bloom, made coffee taste absolutely divine and he was open, friendly…he and Bickslow were hilarious when they got going, having apparently been good friends when Bickslow was a kid before the ban on Seith Magic had forced Arman to relocate him to Fiore when he was 15 and the Boscan government officially saw him as a threat.

Vander though…was distracting, flirty, and when he got serious during the briefings when his team was catching Lucy's up on what they were doing, that little smile went away and the air of play, nonsense, devil may care that seemed to envelop the man was abruptly gone and she understood why Bickslow had told them on the trip to Pergrand…

"...I know Laxus says he's a bullshitter, and doesn't take shit serious…and it seems that way, he acts that way…but if shit hits the fan and you have the hardest thing you could possibly imagine facing you…a fight you can't believe you'll win to face…he's who you want with you." He'd looked hard at Laxus then, who had been ranting about what a playboy pranking asshole Vander was…and Laxus had growled, folded his arms over his chest and…nodded.
"Yeah…" he'd admitted.

"So don't hesitate with Vander…if something goes sideways and he shows up? Do whatever he says…because when things are bad…he'll protect you and get you through it no matter what he has to do."

The man wore the uniform Greg had given him, blended in with Gregs guards, did the work and didn't draw attention…and had apparently..killed someone to protect Freed.

Wine colored eyes slid to Lucy and he smirked. "Yes, sunshine…I killed someone…I've killed a fuck ton of people and I'll kill more…if there's a threat to this mission? I will eliminate it so the mission succeeds." He answered her question and Laxus huffed.

"Chill, Van." He growled and Vander snorted, shrugging, his easy smile in place on his handsome face.

"I'm fine, thunderthighs…but if you brought people who can't handle blood on hands we're gonna have issues, because this isn't some B class mage job to slap a little dark guild around…we're in fucking Pergrand and there are people here, a lot of them…who make me look like a fluffy kitty…so be sure your people are up to snuff…bad enough you brought women here…a uterus is a serious handicap in this country." Vander said.

"I am as capable as any of you." Erza growled and Vanders dark eyes went to her, unimpressed.

"You think how capable you are matters here? Berserkers can SMELL a female scent, they're blooded on them right after they're created because Pergrand wants them to never leave females alive in zones where they deploy them…wants them to drag men back for the slave market and murder all the women…your capability means all of jack shit here and you've been demanding to go out of this estate and walk around in a glamour that won't even fucking matter around any military and there is a LOT of military here." Vander returned, his smile still there…but his eyes were cold…dark…there was no humor anywhere but on those full lips.

"We've already covered the mistake Makarov made in sending women here." Gregorian said, eyes on Vander.

Vander grinned "Ah, my bad then. Hey, did anyone get food or should I go grab some take out? I could totally fuck up some tacos." he said lightly, tipping his head back and the scotch in his glass slid down his throat, the man drinking it like water and seeming to be about as effected by it as if it had been.

Lucy blinked at the sudden change of attitude and demeanor.

"Good call…I don't think anyone did." Bickslow chuckled

"I'm sure a meal has been prepared, I don't usually get take out." Gregorian said, walking past them all and leaving the sitting room. He didn't regret agreeing to do this…yet…but he felt he was on the edge of it and he wanted to eat and get some sleep before he had to deal with more work.

"What still needs doing?" Laxus asked and Presca held up a list that Freed took.

"Nothing at Skysreach, we're done there, we can't make anything happen there with the magic suppression wards and shit they have in place to keep the gladiators contained, but we need to start readying the transports." He said.

"So I can start working on those…" Freed said, heading for the garage where two of the transports that would be used were already waiting.

"I could monitor through the cameras Vander wears…help to coordinate." Erza offered. She'd been quiet through most of the conversation, thinking about what Gregorian had said and finally, a glimmer of what he meant had gotten through and she looked seriously between everyone there.

"I understand I'm a threat to everything if I get caught…I am good at strategy though, and if I can help, I want to. I can remain out of sight with Lucy, use the cameras Vander usually has in the mask he wears…I've seen them…and I've seen Rowan watching on the computer…" She nodded toward the red haired green mage.

Rowan hummed "Easy enough, would free me up to join the action too if you and Lucy want to handle the coordination. Bix has a camera on him as well…we watch both teams, and on this caravan moving the Gladiators? We're full time combined effort now, so getting fully coordinated makes sense, two sets of eyes are better than one."

"Especially when one has boots on the ground she can act through." Loke said, smiling from his place by the door.

"Yeah, alright, Presca can set up another computer for Erza to use, I'm going for Tacos, I saw the…wellington? I think that's what Greg's people made…good and all but I'm seriously in need of tacos so I'll be back in a bit." Vander said, waving a hand.

"Anyone else want?" He asked lightly.

"Dude, bring me back a churro." Bickslow said and Vander smirked "With the rum vanilla dipping sauce."

"You are my favorite brother." Bickslow grinned widely.

"I'm fine with wellington." Presca said as he headed after where Gregorian had gone.

"I am too, just hurry back Van, don't be gone long." Rowan said giving the quip a narrow eyed look and Vander grinned.

"No promises, I find someone good looking and game I may decide I've been without sex long enough and get me some." Vander said as he headed for the door.

"Seriously? You'd fuck a Pergrandian?" Laxus curled his nose.

"Past tense Thunder God, I have and will again, they are good looking, keep themselves clean and they all know how to enjoy a man…I like women…but some good dick has it's place ya know?" Vander said and Laxus's disgusted sound was followed by Vanders melodious laughing…even mocking someone the man sounded good.

Laxus just shook his head following after Presca. "Presca you think you could help Freed after we eat?" he asked and Presca nodded as all of them headed to the dining hall, the rich aromas of a luxurious meal waiting for them and even Lucy found herself drooling by the time she sat down and a plate was set before her.

They continued discussing the plans…they would free The Dark Eagle during the caravan move of the Gladiators to Alpine Crest…and then they would focus their efforts to get Romeo out of the nightclub he was serving. And somehow…get them all the hell out of Pergrand.