Natsu woke again to yet another dark room. The drug wore off, and this time he wasn't tied up, so it was easier to move around and find the light switch. The room was entirely white. There was no door. No windows. Nothing. The floor was metal, along with the roof. And the walls, well it was glass, but it was unbreakable. Natsu tried punching it, but all that happened was a loud echo of his fist pounding the glass. He was in a large Glass cage with no means of escape. The only thing Natsu could do was sit and wait for something to happen. Natsu didn't like that idea. But punching the glass wasn't going to help. Natsu kicked the floor and stared out through the glass. On the outside, he saw a small room, with a glass window that faced him, and there were people inside.
" Natsu Dragneel." Natsu recognized this voice, " I'm going to ask you again. Where is Lucy Heartfilia?" The voice came from a speaker that he found on the floor hidden well within the steel.
' This guy just won't shut up," Natsu thought, " Why exactly are you so obsessed on finding her?" Natsu asked, not bothering to answer the question he was given.
" ... "
" Do you even love her? Or are you being forced to do this? Whats your motive? " Natsu demanded, " Because if you truly did love her, you wouldn't try to hurt her."
" I'm not trying to hurt her!" Daren shouted through the speaker, " You don't even Know me. "
" Lucy doesn't like you."
" I don't care, " Daren muttered.
" I'm going to take a wild guess. Your from a rich family like Lucy. Her father was forcing her to marry you. Don't tell me your parents are doing the same to you? What will they do? Disown you? Lucy had the same problem. She didn't go with her father's wishes. She rather get disowned than to be with someone she doesn't even love." Natsu said.
Daren growled, " Unlike her, I'd rather keep my home, my money and my family."
" Parents don't just go telling their kids to do something for their own personal benefits. All they want from you is an heir for their company, am I right? They don't care about how happy or sad or pissed."
" ..."
" I'm right aren't I?" Natsu asked, " You can stop searching for Lucy, get someone you actually like..."
" I'm afraid not. See, I don't listen to some pink haired idiot. I do things my own way."
" But that's not your own way."
" Shut up!" Daren shouted, " Zancrow. I want you to take care of him. Midnight, go look for Lucy."
" Right," Midnight said and ran off.
" Now, how 'bout we play a little?" Zancrow laughed, " I'll beat you 'till you can't move." He walked through a hidden glass door. Natsu backed up.
Lucy paced around her room. Gray was sitting on a chair, and Erza was drying her hair.
" Lucy..."
" Yeah?" Lucy stopped walking and turned around.
" It's fine you know, "
" No, no its not. Daren wants me, but it's not because he loves me." Lucy said.
" He doesn't?" Erza asked, " Then why-"
" Our parents wanted us to get married, we both come from rich families. They both want to join each other and make an even better company, they need an heir, so my father forced me to marry Daren, and his parents did the same. But since I refused, and my father disowned me... I'm guessing he's getting Daren to get me, " Lucy said, " I'm not waiting for them to get me, I"ll go to them instead."
" You can't! Lucy you don't know what they'll do to you." Gray said.
" We don't know what their doing to Natsu! Besides he won't hurt me, he needs me to bring back to my father." Lucy argued.
Erza sighed, " We'll come with you then."
" No, he's only looking for me. I doubt they'll come to me if you guys are around."
" They came when Erza was with Natsu."
Lucy looked off to the side, " Fine you'll come."
Gray and Erza smiled, " Alright I guess, we'll just walk around outside until someone finds us huh?"
Midnight wondered down the street, where he was told Lucy and her friends go to school. When he walked by, the school was empty.
" Damn, Daren. Making me do all the work..." Midnight turned around to head back down a different path, but stopped when he saw a blonde girl, a red haired girl followed by a guy with black spiky hair. Midnight smiled and walked towards them. The girls looked up.
" Hey there Lucy," Midnight said waving. Lucy glared.
" Daren sent you right? Take us to him." She demanded.
" What? All of you, sorry but I was told to just bring you princess."
Lucy sighed and turned to Erza, " If Daren wants to see her, he's gonna have to see us too."
" I don't really care, I'm bringing the blonde, follow if you really want to come..." Midnight grabbed Lucy and walked off. ' Honestly, Why couldn't I be the one to find the pink haired bastard? It's always Zancrow..." Midnight complained in his thoughts.
Erza and Gray followed Midnight. When they came to a dead end in the street alley, Midnight shoved a large trash bin revealing a whole in the wall. It led down.
" So you guys stay in some basement? Or the sewer? " Erza asked.
Midnight shook his head, " No, 'course not. It's a short cut." Lucy went in first and followed the path. Midnight pointed to the right and they went that way. When they made it back outside, they realized the made it on the other side of the town. Midnight took the lead again and showed them a nice sized house, freshly painted. He opened the door and motioned for them to enter. He locked it once they all came in. Lucy looked around, the room was large despite the outside look.
" There's a door over there," Midnight pointed, and sat down on a couch, " Daren's in there." He said lazily and laid down. Gray shrugged and opened the door peering inside. He walked in followed by Lucy, then Erza.
Natsu smiled, Thought he couldn't use his bad arm it didn't mean he couldn't fight. Natsu kicked low, throwing Zancrow off his feet as he tried to close in on him. Zancrow threw himself up, Natsu balled up his fist and struck Zancrow in the face. Natsu kicked him in the chin.
" Whats wrong man? Lost your confidence?" Natsu taunted.
Zancrow growled, " You... were just lucky." Zancrow ran fast. He kicked Natsu in the stomach, and slammed his head against the glass. Natsu used Zancrow and jumped onto him, pushing him over. Zancrow hit the floor, hard. Natsu kneed his throat before he could move, and tried holding one arm down.
" Not bad for a kid with a broken arm, " Zancrow commented. Before either of them could make another move the door opened. Natsu looked up, and Zancrow turned his head.
' Lucy!' Natsu's eyes widened. ' They found her? '
Zancrow kicked Natsu off of him. " Hey Daren! You see that? Your blonde chick's here!" Zancrow laughed.
" I see that," Daren replied through the speaker. Natsu watched as Erza, Gray and Lucy walked in. No one came in after them.
" Lucy!" Natsu yelled, " Gray, Erza, why are you guys here? Why'd you come?"
" Natsu!" Lucy cried and ran over to the glass box. Zancrow exited the glass. Natsu stood up and walked over. " What'd they do to you?" She whispered.
" I'm fine, " Natsu muttered looking past her at Daren and glared.
" No, your not, " Lucy muttered. She turned around, " I'm here! Now tell me, why. Why are you doing something you don't want to do?"
" I am, actually. " Daren said walking over to the two of them, " Unlike you. Maybe I don't love you. But that doesn't matter. What matters is that I have a home to stay in, and a hot chick."
" Will that make you happy? If you find some girl you actually like, you can't have her and me. You're parents, all they want is money. "
Daren looked away " Funny, the pink haired idiot said the same thing."
" There's nothing fortunate about having your fate decided for you, you have to grab your own happiness." Lucy turned her attention to Natsu, " We came here ourselves, mostly to find you. We found your scarf by the way." Lucy added.
Natsu smiled, " Nice... uh, speech."
Lucy laughed, " Daren. You know, if you go back to the cops. They won't add any more time on your sentence. You'll still be able to leave later. Then you can do whatever you want in your life. You don't need to be told what to do with it, as long as you don't want that to happen."
Midnight stormed in, " There is no FUCKIN'WAY, I am Not going back to that hellhole."
" That ' hell hole,' was your own doing." Gray said.
Midnight grabbed Daren by the collar of his shirt, " I came all this way, helping you get this girly, and your gonna back down?"
" I never said I was going to back down." Daren reply ripping himself free.
" You Are!" Midnight shouted, " I can see it in your eyes! You know what she said was true, you wanted nothing to do with your parents! Your just a kid with no life so you ended up doing what they said! What the hell are you gonna do!"
" I'm cool with this, " Zancrow said, " I got paid."
" No one asked you," Midnight growled, " I sure as hell ain't goin' back."
" Then don't. Let the cops search for you every single day of your life. Or leave the country, the town perhaps. Do things your way. No. One. Cares." Natsu said rolling his eyes. ' As long as you're not going after Lucy it doesn't matter. '
Midnight turned and raised his fist. Erza stepped in front and grabbed his face, and pushed him into the wall. Grabbed his shirt and kicked him in the crouch. Midnight whimpered.
" You're either going to leave and never come back, or turn yourself in with your buddies you got that!" Erza said, " Or I'm going to make your life painful as hell."
Midnight nodded fast.
" Well he sure changed his mind quick." Gray said. Erza went outside to call Ultear. Gray watched Daren and his small gang. Lucy stayed with Natsu and sat down. She stared at the burned mark on his neck.
" That's going to leave a scar." Lucy noted.
" That's fine, doesn't really matter because of my scarf." Natsu said.
" Does it hurt?"
Natsu turned to her. Her face was full of worry so he shook his head, " No. Just... stings a little, but that's all."
" I'm glad your alright. I was, worried you know?"
" Hey, I wanted to tell you something, but I wasn't sure when to say it-"
" Alright everyone I called Ultear and she's bringing the cops." She looked at Natsu, " And the ambulance. They'll be here soon." Erza lead Daren and the gang out. Gray followed behind to make sure none wondered off somewhere.
" W-wait. Does that mean... I'm going to stay in the hospital again?" Natsu asked annoyed. Lucy laughed and hugged Natsu.
" Don't worry! They won't be kidnapping you again!"
" That's not-"
" Hurry up! " Erza shouted, " Or we're going to leave you there!"
" Come on, " Lucy grabbed Natsu's good arm and led him outside.
" I just don't want to be sitting there for days again..." Natsu muttered to himself.
I saw the request for Aries. I'll try to add her :)
The story is getting close to the end.
Yeah, I guess Daren gave in too easily, but hey, the obsessive 'lover' is leaving XD
But is it forever? ? ?
Please Review!
I'm glad everyone's liking this story! I never thought I'd actually make this, this long. :o And I didn't think It would come out very good, but you guys seem to like it, I'm glad! Thanks for reading so far! Till the next update :)