Chapter 10: The Message
"Wha- what?" Happy said, stunned.
"Wait. Bora? Wasn't he that guy formerly from Titan Nose, who wanted to kidnap Lucy the first time I met her?" Natsu mumbled to himself.
"Yeah, and then you busted up the whole port to save her," Grey said, rolling his eyes. "Was he really that difficult to handle?"
"He would be if you'd fight him, stripper."
"You said something, fire-brain?"
"You want me to kill you two?" Erza said, glaring at them. "Anyway, it's good that I've got him in a hold like that. The instant this ring-mage tries to make a move, I've got it under control."
"Fortunately," Lucy said with a shudder. She was no doubt remembering the near-escape she'd had from being an overseas slave.
"I'd like to kick that nitwit so hard he'll be flying into space," Natsu said with clenched teeth.
"At any rate, his intentions aren't good," Erza injected, waving her free arm at the man she had in a fatal hold. Bora scowled.
"How'd you find out he wasn't a hirer but someone who...?" Lucy asked the ex-quip mage. Erza smiled cunningly.
"When this guy explained his history, he shared that Rose took him in. Neither of them had any relatives. But just now, when I asked him what this room was for, he said that it was for visiting relatives. First clue."
"Darnit!" hissed Bora to himself.
"Second, this room is supposed to be a guest room, as mentioned before. Then why is there a closet and a lamp but no bed? Second clue."
"There's a cot in the closet!" Bora insisted, but everyone ignored him.
"Also," Erza continued. "he said that he liked to keep his belongings and clothes in that closet. But when I slammed Natsu against the side of the closet, it made a perfectly hollow sound. Third clue."
"Hey!" Natsu said.
"Finally, starting from the moment we entered this room until now, I noticed that the only spots this so-called 'hirer' stood on was in the doorway, and beside the closet. Last clue."
"Fishy!" exclaimed Happy with a wide grin. Grey slapped him. "Ow..."
"But there's something else too." Erza paused for dramatic effect.
"What?" Grey asked insistently.
"Two of the three clues pointed to something suspicious about the closet. Because of this, I have a hunch that... Lucy. Take this string," she said suddenly, using her free hand to take a string out of her pocket. "Tie it carefully around the neck of the closet door knob. Slowly." Lucy obeyed nervously.
"Now, take the other end, and exit the room. You guys, too," Erza added, indicating the boys and the Exceed. The four pushed past the doorway and joined Erza and Bora in the hall. Lucy stood nervously, clutching the other end of the string with both hands.
"Natsu, take the string," Erza ordered. Natsu grabbed it. "Now... pull!" With a hard yank, Natsu jerked the string backwards, away from the room.
Suddenly, the floor tiles, not including the ones around the closet and the lamp, split in two halves and dropped, one side still attached to one wall each. What was left was an expanse of darkness.
~ o ~
That unthoughtful idiot, thought Levy, clutching her fists tightly as she headed back to her teammates. Why does he have to be so... so rude, even when I'm only trying to be a friend... She sighed. What was the use anyway? Boys will be boys, she knew, so monsters would be monsters.
But could this little Belle change the Iron Beast's cold ways?
She wanted to try, but...
"Levy! Did you pick out a job yet?" Droy said excitedly. Levy groaned inwardly.
"Sorry, I forgot. I was distracted." Droy looked odd, but the two smiled.
"Here, I'll go pick one," Jet offered, and went off. Levy worked up a smile and got a conversation started with Droy.
~ o ~
"There's a hollow room up there!" gasped Lucy. Bora stared at it, his eyes cold with fury.
"That's not all, is there?" Grey said suddenly, looking closer. He grabbed a pocketknife and threw it inside. As the knife entered the hollow basement room, a large netting snapped up and trapped it tightly.
"So you meant to trap us." Grey observed. "What did you want?" Bora said nothing, and tore his gaze from them to the floor.
"Tell us!" Erza demanded, moving her sword even closer to the ring mage's neck.
He muttered something under his breath.
"What?"
"...Heart...Heartfilia." Lucy gasped.
"I was planning to ransom you guys in exchange for Heartfilia," Bora explained grudgingly. "Orders of..."
"Of who?" Erza shouted. Underneath her icy, tough hide hid an undying personality of love and care toward her teammates and guildmates.
"I'm gonna kill them," Natsu added fiercely to himself.
"Aye, sir!" agreed Happy, clutching his paws. Grey's eyes sharpened, and his eyebrows narrowed.
"Of..." Bora paused. "Orders of a mysterious man named Jose Porla."
"Jose Porla-that's the former master of Phantom Lord," hissed Grey. Lucy shuddered.
"Is he still after me, that freaky oaf?" she moaned, her eyes filled with fear and anger.
"Don't worry. We'll never let anyone take a guild member!" Natsu said firmly.
"We'd die before that happens," added Grey. Erza smiled smugly.
"But it doesn't look like that's the case this time," she whispered, her eyes flashing blood-red as her hair. Lucy gulped. Bora gulped.
"Don't... kill me..."
Erza sniffed. "Do you really think I'd kill someone who meant to endanger my nakama, who nearly tricked us into falling into a trap, and aided a harm-meaning old grouch? Surely I'm not that cruel."
"I should hope so," muttered Bora, twitching.
"Hmph. Even if I'm not, there is still someone..." she grinned, thinking of the pink-haired dragonslayer standing only a few steps away. Lucy rolled her eyes.
"Don't worry. I'll tell you what I'll do. Send this message to Jose and we'll forget any of this ever happened, alright?" Lucy put in hastily.
"Yeah. ...And, the message is this!" Natsu exclaimed with glee. Bora smiled. This would be an easy ride out...
At least, it would've, but the ring mage's perspective changed after Natsu's fist zoomed into view.