Chapter 18: Peeling away the Layers

(Author's Notes: *Warning* If you are squeamish or your stomach is easily upset by descriptions of violence and such of a young child * do not * I repeat, * do not * read the section entitled "Past" in this chapter. While it's certainly not the worst out there, I do not want anyone unnecessarily upset. You should still easily be able to get the gist of what's going on with out the section. *Warning* )

Lucy leaned back into the backseat of Laxus' racer. Obviously this was his casual one as it still had it's back seat. He, like many serious racers, completely rebuilt their cars to be lighter, thus carrying the extra steel of a backseat was deemed unnecessary as well as the need to carry anyone other than the occasional navigator. Her back was hurting her something fierce, but she hid it well...or so she thought. Laxus had seen through her act and had shoved her, gently, into his backseat behind Cana. Natsu had seemed to sense something was off as well and had declined from causing a fuss. Freed had elected to take the vials just in case.

Somewhere along the way she had dozed off and only woke up after the car pulled to a stop deep within the underground headquarters and Cana leaning down to look at her in concern.

"You OK, kiddo?"

"Yeah, I will be. It was just the results of me being forgetful after all."

"That doesn't make it any less painful."

"I just have to keep moving before I stiffen up."

"Ya, need to eat more." Laxus complains. "A little fat would help protect against that stuff."

"No girl likes to hear that she's eating too little or too much." Cana glares at him.

"It's the truth."

"Doesn't matter!" Cana smacks him upside the head. Lucy thinks that she's probably the only female who could get away with that without any real fear of repercussions.

Freed is the first one to arrive in the infirmary followed by a, surprisingly, subdued Natsu.

Lucy is a bit concerned. She's never seen such a serious look on his face before. She reined in the uncharacteristic desire to run her fingers down his face in an attempt to soothe the frown lines away. She had already slipped up earlier today. She had sensed Laxus' and Freeds focus and had attempted to redirect their attentions with this problem. It worked...but she really just wanted to be along with Natsu...she wanted to know if what he said on the phone was true.

Did he really like her in that way?

Maybe.

Was it actually possible that she even returned the feelings?

Yes, actually, and that was terrifying.

Was she acting like a silly little school girl with nothing but romance on her mind?

Absolutely, and for once, really didn't mind.

Porlyusica comes out clad in a simple black skirt, green top and white lab coat. "What? The sun is out, usually I can be here in peace. Make it quick." she glares at Natsu. "Do you need stitches again?"

"What? No, that was only once."

"You bring anyone who needs stitches?"

"No."

"Surgery?"

"Uh...no"

"That could be argued. I think a lobotomy would be a improvement."

"Hey!"

She turns to Cana and Laxus. "Pregnancy test?"

"WHAT?"

"OH HELL TO THE NO." Cana looks horrified.

"Then get out." She points at the door with her magically manifested broom. Lucy blinks, not quite sure where she summoned that. Laxus looks at Freed and nods him forward. "It's about this stuff. We found it at the race site and would like you to analyize it." She stops looking at Laxus then to the vials the man was holding. She pales just a bit and Natsu detects fear from her scent.

"Let me see that." she takes a vial and uncaps it sniffing it gingerly before capping it again. She looks at Laxus. "Is this...?"

"I wanted you to check first." The blonde male grumbles. She turns and walks to a wall pulling down on a hidden handle revealing a machine. Dropping a few drops onto the slide she places it in the machine and it begins to glow and hum softly. She glances at Laxus then to Lucy and turns to stare back down at the machine. There is a soft ding that denotes the completion of the tests. She looks at the paper and sighs softly. "Of course...it just couldn't go away."

"So it is the same stuff?" Laxus asks curiously.

"Yes. Without a doubt. Stronger and more condensed but, yes." She looks at Laxus. "Where did you get this?"

"Uh...I found it on the road ma'am." Lucy steps forward. "It fell out of a large tractor trailer."

Porlyusica looks at her and for a long moment looks at a loss for words. "Fate is cruel it seems. To think you would find this, of all people."

"Uh...is that a good thing?"

"Perhaps, perhaps not. Somethings are better left not messed with. But you likely won't accept that answer."

"Of course not."

"So like your mother, you are."

Lucy looks like she's been slapped. "Excuse me? Y-you knew my mother?"

"More than that. I worked with her, your father, and Laxus' mother. We all worked at Kotobuki Industries."

"That company closed years ago, due to financial problems, didn't it?" Freed frowns.

"Officially."

Natsu frowns in confusion. He felt like he was on a train that was picking up speed and if he didn't slow it down somehow he was going to be either left or dragged along behind it. "Wait! Wait. Time out! What does this have to do with the drugs?"

"This is a drug that was produced by that company. Ivan-san, Laxus' father, created it to help with people who had seizures right before he took over as director. It met with amazing success rate."

Laxus tenses not only at the mention of his father's name but also because of information he was not aware of.

" Unfortunately there where...side effects. If not with the patient with their offspring. Lucy and Laxus's mothers worked with me in recording these results. We wanted to tell Kotobuki-san...however Ivan did not agree with us. Lucy's father, was in charge of Public Relations for the company and threatened to tell if Ivan did not make a move to pull the drug."

"But he did pull it right?" Cana asks from her seat on a counter.

"Of course not. When the allegations came down he took out a hefty sum and ran into hiding."

"Leaving me with Gramps. That sounds like my old man. Asshole until the end."

The older woman sighs as she holds up a vial, looking at the contents while her mind continues to wander. "Well, it gets worst. Those that worked with the drug often had the side effects just like if they took them. Many of our workers and the nurses that administered it started showing signs of them. But most startling was their offspring, who almost constantly showed signs of the side effects."

"Our abilities." Lucy breaths out in shock as he quick mind began to place the puzzle pieces in place.

Porlyusica nods curtly.

"I had left them before everything. Layla and Jude left not long after taking a good chunk of the research with them. I had the other half. Everything calmed down for a while...I thought that was the end of it. Many of the key researchers for this was ending up dead. Car wrecks. Over doses. Hold ups gone wrong..."

"Or robberies that didn't pan out." Lucy murmurs weakly. She looked...ill as she stares at the board above Porlyusica's desk.

"You should sit down Lucy." Porlyusica intoned in her best no nonsense voice. "You don't need to get agitated."

"I"m fine." The girl snaps slightly. She sits anyway. Natsu looks at her then to everyone else in the room. Cana looks confused and Porlyusica is eying Lucy carefully. Laxus and Freed however are refusing to look at the girl. Natsu glares. "What do you mean...robberies gone wrong?" he asks gently but firmly. Porlyusica seems to be at a loss as to how to respond. Lucy raise haunted eyes to his.

"My birth parents...I...remember, let this man in. He...he claimed he wanted to 'make everything right..." She shudders faintly wrapping herself in her arms. Cana stops Natsu from going to her warning him away. "Trust me...you don't want to be right up on her...not right now." she whispers.

Past

There was a strange sound downstairs. It couldn't be monsters because Mommy and Daddy told her they weren't real.

Mommy and Daddy never lied.

But then what was it?

Carefully shifting she slid out of bed and landed as softly as possible her pink night gown pooling around her feet. Pulling her sunglasses wearing stuffed Lion, Loke who's belly glowed, with her she quietly makes her way into the hallway towards the stairs. She was five now. A big girl. The dark didn't scare her...not so long as she had her lion. She squeezed it again when the shadows seemed to get too deep and the darkness too oppressive. His little tummy would glow a soft golden glow chasing away the dark. Shuffling along she carefully eased her way down the flight of stairs. She was sure she heard Mommy and Daddy talking. That wasn't strange. But the other person was. Carefully she peeked into the sitting room through the crack in the French doors separating the room from the hall. Lucy shrunk back in fear from the lit door, it's contents scaring her more than the dark every could. The late night visitor was large and talking with her parents. She could feel this persons darkness from here. She squeezed her plushie again as she saw it. The rainbows she always saw around people...usually where happy or at least pretty.

Not his.

It oozed and crawled, making her feel cold and uncomfortable. Mommy and Daddy thought she was just imagining things but she saw what she saw and this was scary. She must have made some sound because he looked at her. His beard reminded her of his 'living' shadow.

Excusing herself Layla quickly came out to get Lucy. "I'm sorry sweetie did we wake you? You shouldn't be down here..." she hugs her gently.

"Bad man." Layla froze. Lucy was a mature child for her age, smart and kind to everyone she met. But for her to say such a thing about someone she simply saw for the very first time. "Now, Honey..."

"Bad. Tell him to go away." Lucy's voice became more insistent, higher in pitch and her little body began to shake. "Sweetie...calm down. He's just here to..."

Behind them two gunshots echoed into the night. The sound shattering the peace of the little row town-home. Layla turned horrified eyes back to the door.

"I had asked nicely before. I just wanted to make all of this right...where is the research?" Lucy was suddenly nearly blinded by the bright colors of her mother's fear.

Why was she afraid? Mommy wasn't lying. Lucy could tell.

"I don't have it. Not any more. I got rid of it! I washed my hands of~!"
"LIES! Give them to me!"

"I DON'T HAVE IT!"

The man made to advance on them only to be jerked to a stop. "Layla, run!"

"Jude!"

"You should be dead!" The man snarls down at the man clinging to his leg with every ounce of his waining strength. Strength that was rapidly staining the carpets . "You won't be rid of me that easily."

"Watch me. One carefully applied bullet to the head..." again Lucy's ears and senses are assaulted by waves of violence. "Problem solved." Layla was already in the kitchen frantically working on the locks of the back door. She had put a all but catatonic Lucy down to try and make her hands work faster. Glancing back she had just enough time to yank her child back up and into herself before something exploded against her back knocking her against the door. Lucy felt a strangely painful burning sensation against her side. The sensation of more violence overwhelming her already raw senses. She looks up in time to see the horrified look pass over her mothers face before they both fell to the tiled floor.

Looking down at the woman dispassionately, he shakes his head. Now he had to go hunting for everything...damn. Him and his itchy trigger finger... He really needed to control his temper better. Turning to hunt down the office, a muffled whimper stopped him. Turning back he blinks at the sight of a little version of the woman who caused him so much trouble looking around lost, blonde hair tumbling all over the place. He couldn't help but laugh coldly at the "Daddy's little Princess" night gown she wore. It was sickening really. He rather thought the bloodstains made it look better. But she might be useful...kids knew more than parents gave then credit...maybe she knew.

Roughly grabbing her by the hair the large man dragged her struggling form, across the floor towards the knife block, sitting next to the kitchen stove.

The next hour was simply a haze of pain and terror. He was asking about papers...files...discs. A safe. Lucy didn't understand any of that. She just wanted it all to stop, which it did once she darkness that clouded the edges of her vision finally won. Darkness wasn't nearly as scary now.

Now, it was a welcome retreat.

Officer Clive groaned as he heard the call for a domestic. "Shit. Arcadios...we really need to get off this shift."

"You know we don't have a choice. Bottom of the totem pole and all. Lets just go see. Probably some kids screwing around in the back yard." Both officers, upon arriving at the house in question and immediately know that this was no bout of kids playing with daddy's guns. Approaching the front door, hands on guns they knocked and the door swung open. "Hello!? We received a call about a disturbance?" Peeking around the door carefully he froze for a moment at what the light from a open doorway revealed.

"Holy shit!" Arcadios knelt and checked for a pulse in the prone man. Looking up he quietly shook his head. The place looked ransacked.

"Robbery gone wrong?"

"Probably.." Gildarts frowns as he places the call into his radio. He trailed after his partner waiting for a response from the dispatcher. Easing into the kitchen actually had both men fighting not to loose their late night diner fare. The smell of burning flesh stung their noses, noting absently that the slumped woman on the floor was not the source. Hesitantly moving closer both men turned away at first. "Whoever, did this was a sick fucking bastard and doesn't deserve to live." He glares at the knifes and the strips of flesh still hanging from some of them. Charred in some cases. The person was meticulous it seems as they could clearly see muscle and even some of that was very carefully shredded. Obviously well versed in the human body. Gently resting a hand near her cheek Arcadios can't help but think of his little one at home. Clive growls darkly and starts to amend his call stating that they would need three bodies transported...when his partner stops him with a tight but frantic hand to his arm. "WAIT! We need paramedics! She's still breathing! She's alive!"

Back to present

Lucy had pulled her knees to her chest as she tightened herself into a ever tighter ball. The doctor looks at the girl with haunted eyes. She remembered the first time she saw her tiny body bandaged tightly after many many hours or re-constructive surgeries and skin grafts. She was called as soon as certain test results came back positive. Nurse Enno had made sure to contact her and Markov. The child was resilient and seemed intelligent and very much aware but largely never spoke. Markov had taken one look at her and had made all arrangements to adopt her. When asked why he had refused to answer.

Laxus stands up and looks sternly at Lucy, who's eyes where still lost back in time. "That's enough. You don't need to remember it right now."

"But...we didn't have it...if Mama didn't have the other part of the research...who does? Why did he need it?" she looks at him. "If we can figure that out we can..."

"What? Hoshi, it's not important now. What is it stopping those shipments, figuring out where they came from and where their going. That's it."

"But who would want it anyway?" Freed's tight voice breaks in.

"Several governments where intrigued by the drug, not because of it's help for epileptics but rather more so for the side effects. It has no hallucinogenic properties or euphoric ones. Whoever wants this, wants this purely for it's effects."

"AH! Damn it Natsu!" Cana had pulled her hand away in pain as she was suddenly burned.

"Who was it?"

Lucy blinks as she looks up at him. "Who was...?"

"Who did that to you? Let me see." he begins to walk over but is quickly stopped by Freed and Laxus. "Back the fuck up, Natsu. She's in no condition to deal with your shit. Besides you just burned Cana, you think I'm going to let you touch Lucy right now?"

"Your making this harder than it needs to be let me see."

"Like hell."

"Your old man did this."

"My old man is a coward, and wouldn't get his hands dirty. I hate him too but..."

"Obra." The soft voice broke into their bickering. "That's the name that I remember." Porlyusica stares at the girl as she stares at the 'warning' posters on the board above her desk. "Are you sure?"

She nods her eyes scared still but at least in the present. "I...remember the stitches."

"Obra, was recently seen near the norther border..." Laxus growls. The rose haired woman walks over to Lucy and carefully injects a mild sedative into her arm so fast everyone isn't even sure when she loaded the thing. "I'm sorry. But you need to calm down. This will help. I cannot have you getting too upset." Lucy looks a bit angry at this but holds her peace.

"I need to talk to Gramps." The elder blonde marches towards the door. Once in the hallway he looks down at Natsu who was following. "Where the hell do you think your going?"

"With you. I'm not letting you have all of this bastard."

"You need to stay here."

"Bullshit."

"Lucy, will need you." Natsu stops and looks at him skeptically.

"What's with the sudden change of heart?"

"Oh I ain't changed shit. I still don't think your worthy to even lick the ground she walks on. But the fact of the matter is that she trusts you, you help her feel safe and you balance her powers when needed. I don't like it but what can I do? You saw her in there. This is all stirring shit back up that caused her to be so unbalanced before. She needs someone around who she trusts. I can move faster than you and I'm normally found on the borders, I won't draw attention. Let me handle him. You get the people around here. Your...decent in a fight too, I guess. Call it a elder pulling rank."

Growling in irritation Natsu takes a step back. "Fine."

"Good. Tell Freed, I want you in the basement apartment before the end of the day. You need to be close to her at all times."

"What? Like hell, he'll let that happen."

"OH he will..." Laxus laughs as he walks off tapping on his cell phone. Suddenly from within the room the anguished cry of:

"WHY LAXUS!? WHYYYYYYYY!?"

"Will you stop that you fool! This is why I hate humans! UGH!"