(Sorry it took so long, but here's the new chapter! It's a lot of talking. Just a forewarning. Having a bit of trouble posting the chapter with the Doc manager. I can't see what I'm posting so...I'm sorry ahead of time if the formatting isn't up to my usual standards (the bold, italics, freaking spacing...). I cannot see the file once it's in FF for some reason right now and that is where I input most of that fun stuff. I just put up my somewhat raw text document as I felt it was too long to wait for to figure out the problem. I hope it's fixed soon.)
Hawkeye Chapter 22: Honest Truth and Investigation
Lucy dozed in her bed, the alcohol still causing a happy buzz in her system dulling her senses just enough that the night was, for the most part peaceful. Which was soon disturbed...soon? Well she wasn't really sure how long she dozed..her buzz was almost gone now. Which sucked and probably was why the strange colors flaring through her room woke her fully from her half sleep. Rolling over she stares in confusion at the corner which seemed to contain a deeply thinking Natsu staring out over the street. He was sitting in a chair and sipping something out of a glass. He was wearing only is sleep pants and leaning against one side of the window. Glancing at the bedside clock she noticed that the time flashed 1am. Sitting up she frowns faintly.
He was disturbed, upset even but he didn't seem to be so upset that he was torn, just rolling something around in his head. She just watched him for a long while before deciding that he needed sleep.
"Hey." The look directed back at her wasn't surprised but it was somewhat tired.
"Hey."
"Welcome back. I know you did something and something happened. I won't ask what...yet. But I will say this: Come to bed. I want to sleep and your colors are distracting. Whatever it is you can worry about it later, Captain. Right now I need my heater and you need sleep." She smiled, invitingly at him and pulled back the covers to make space. Natsu seemed surprised about something but looks down at his drink before downing the rest like a shot, setting the glass on the bedside table and hopping in to cuddle up. He could smell the faint smell of alcohol on her breath but he could also tell that she was no longer feeling it as much as she must have been when she dozed off initially.
Natsu was thankful that she didn't ask. He wasn't sure how to tell her, not with her just getting back on stable footing after everything that happened. He knew that not telling her was not an option, not that he would seriously consider that. She'd been lied to enough times by omission he really didn't want her looking at him sideways.
"You're still stewing." the sleepy voice floated up, her breath brushing over his chest doing a very good job of distracting his thoughts for the first time since he left Sabertooth's place. She shifts to sit up causing blonde hair to slide over one nipple down to his abs before disappearing. "I could make you some tea? Do you think that would help?"
"No...I can stop. Sorry, I keep forgetting how you can actually *see* the colors. I'm keeping you awake."
"Hmm. But I'd rather have you here. I've had a nap, I can be up for a while. Cana drunk way more than me, as usual, I had to try and drag her back to her room while buzzed. You can imagine how well that went. I'm sure she's going to have several bruises." And a headache that wasn't alcohol induced. Natsu chuckles.
"Cana's been that way since she hit twenty-one. But to be honest she's been drinking since she was twelve."
"That young! No wonder no one can beat her...!"
Natsu was quiet for a long time as he looks down at her. He felt himself lucky having such a woman.
"Remember when we were talking with Wendy? And we found out your code name?"
He watches the sleepiness clear from her eyes a bit and that faint uncertainty he didn't like attempt to enter. But he had to press forward.
"Yes. My power's kind of code name was "Bunny" or something like that."
"Yeah. I met another "Bunny" tonight. She's with Sabertooth and she's almost exactly like you in powers and in how their dragon's respond to her. They dull her just like Laxus and I do for you. She's...not as well adjusted, though. She can't live very well on her own. She doesn't have the control you have either. She felt *like* you but wasn't like you at all."
"I guess, with O-Obra and all of that I would either fight to take back my life and the control or let my fear run my life. I guess I'm too stubborn for my own good to just cower."
He ran his fingers through her hair and smiles to himself at that. "Yeah, your a fierce Bunny. But I saw the potential in this one. Her name is Yukino. And they had files on her too. She was a successful kidnapping that happened before you. Sting and Rouge's fathers had apparently gone around and was gathering the 'bunnies' for some reason or another. Yukino escaped at a young age and ended up in the system but it seemed that many did not. They were working for some corporation called: "BlueNote." They're taking care of her now. Kind of as a penance on behalf of their fathers sins."
"Then why come and harass me?"
"Apparently there were two reasons. One is because you successfully took their father's out in one shot, essentially, they believed that you may have been a plant. A final bunny that those in charge knew they would never succeed in taking. The second reason is that Sting is a dick."
"They thought I worked with BlueNote and was a means of erasing evidence? I was a KID!"
"I never said it was a good theory. But they had decent reason to believe it possible and that you were."
"Oh? And why is that." she leans back and looks irritated.
"Apparently, according to Yukino, most "Bunnies" when she was there was put through a very harsh training for combat and fire-arms. That their bodies were crafted into killing machines the mind being the most subtle. Your ability to influence people's emotions and read their emotional status made you a serious threat. You girls didn't need to kill a person if you didn't need you. You could simply send them into their own downward spiral yourself." Lucy leans her head down on her intertwined hands resting on his chest as she thought. With her combat capabilities and firearms training...she couldn't rightly fault them all things considered. She huffed out a sigh and tilted her head to the side. Natsu attempted to focus his thoughts on the topic at hand rather than the return of the silky glide of her hair along his already over-heated skin. The soft gust of air she let out did not help matters at all.
"This is all so surreal." she finally said. "This has to be stopped. I think Levy and I can hunt down some more leads. None of us can keep living like this with no information and constantly looking over our shoulders."
Natsu frowned down at her before stating in a low voice. "I don't want you two investigating alone." Lucy attempted to ignore the way that tone tickled along her spine. Damn him and his voice...
"Why not? We did for for years alone with just as high stakes. We're just going to ask some people a few questions...a few of our old informants."
"Fine. You and I can go one place and Levy and Gajeel can go another."
"I do not need your protection." Brown eyes snap at him in the darkness not at all doing anything for her argument to him.
Well that's not true. It was doing something just not what she wanted, he was sure.
Natsu sighs. "Luce..."
"I had one episode. ONE. I can handle myself!"
"I'm not saying you can't." He manages to get in quickly. "That's not what I'm saying. It's just...do you know what it was like that night you didn't return? When I thought you had been either arrested or hurt? That I had no idea what had happened to you for hours and I couldn't go help you? Find you, keep you safe? I know you are capable but that doesn't stop me from wanting to protect you!" he sighs absently running a hand through his hair. "I'm sorry. I just...look I don't want to lose you. I just got you...Please just let me be with you. Ok? This one time." He leaned down to get a better view of her face.
She was pouting, plump lips puckering in irritation. Not being able to resist the temptation he leans in kissing her lips gently. "Please?" Cupping both cheeks he smiled at her kissing her gently again.
"Please, baby?"
"This won't get you your way all the time..." she grumbles but allows herself to be pulled in for another kiss.
"I know...but I'm going to enjoy it while it works." He grins. "Let's get some sleep. Then tomorrow we can go searching for information from those people of yours."
"Fine..." she huffs in irritation. "Good night." she turns over in an attempt to go to sleep. Chuckling he turns into her and pulls her close nuzzling her hair gently. It smelled nice. The temperature was perfect...he wasn't being frozen out. Happy had much more space to move about. There was even a little yard here he could go out and grill on... which reminded him he needed to purchase a grill for this place. Lucy sighs softly in her light sleep and turns into him burying herself into his chest and twining her legs with his. It was one of the cutest things he'd discovered about her. She slept a bit like a octopus and attempted to twine about everything in her way. Pillows, blankets...him. He chuckles to himself. He hears the door be pushed open and the faint sound of a bell right before he feels little steps wandering over the bed towards his head. He felt kitty whiskers brush his face before a warmth settled on his pillow above his head.
Ah...yes. He could easily get used to this.
Lucy stepped off of the back of the bike and huffed in irritation. "I could have driven."
"It saves gas this way, what's the harm?" Natsu shrugged. It also saved him a serious bout of motion sickness and he really didn't want his senses mucked with more than necessary when he was on unfamiliar turf. He watches her pull off her helmet and glare at him the fall of her hair a bit rumpled. If he wasn't here on business...
"Can you please stop thinking dirty thoughts for just a few minutes while we talk?"
"That's not fair...fine. But why are we at the Blue Pegasus' Host club?"
"Hibiki works here."
"Please don't tell me you're a fan...wait Hibiki wasn't he the one you were talking to at the meet?"
"Yeah, we went to college together. Tried to date but it didn't work out. I couldn't deal with him being so overly friendly with girls. But it's apart of who he is." She shrugs as Natsu pushes through the door for both of them.
Inside was a vision of pale blue neon and shadows. There were booths everywhere and women filling them surrounding various men of their choice. Natsu had been in here once or twice and didn't really care for returning. The last time he was here he was mistaken for one of the 'new' guys and was nearly mauled by a fifty year old woman and her three friends. Usually he sent Gray whenever he needed anything.
The stripper always had a interesting time here...
"I'm here to see Hibiki." she spoke to Eve, another top host there.
"So is more than half the list for the night, my Lady." He quips while kissing her hand. Lucy had always looked a bit askance at Eve. She was no fool. He had some very telling callouses on his hands...
Natsu fights the childish urge to scowl at the boy's very touchy nature with Lucy.
"Maybe but they aren't here on real business." she holds out a card which causes a faint but tell tale twitch of Eve's eyebrow. "Ah V.I.P. status. Forger me. Right this way. Mr. Dragneel, always a pleasure. It always surprises me that you do not come to visit more often. Ichiya-san is more than willing to extend the V.I.P status to you as well."
"Yeah..but I didn't like his price."
"What was his price?" Lucy looks at him curiously. "V.I.P status at the Blue Pegasus is hard to come by."
"Work once a month here for an entire weekend. Apparently one of the more wealthy patrons here took a liking to me on one of my visits. She and her entourage were a little too touchy feely." Eve is smiling as he holds a door off in a darkened corner for them to pass through.
"Yes. She was taken by his bad-boy looks and yet seemingly boyish and surprisingly, innocent, at times, nature. She still asks about you, you know."
Lucy laughs gently. Natsu scowls. "This is so not funny."
"If you would please wait here, Hibiki will be right with you." He bows holding out his hand towards a nice velvet couch situated facing a dark wall. At their feet was an expensive looking custom rug with the Blue Pegasus emblem taking up most of it's real estate in a light blue and cream. Lucy sat and crossed her legs. Eve's eyes roamed up the jean clad appendages towards her jacketed top as she unzips it to get comfortable.
"Can I get you two something to drink?"
Lucy smiles. "No, thanks. I'm good." Eve's small smile fades as he looks to Natsu, finally, and notices the unnerving way the slightly taller man was staring at him.
"Whiskey. Neat."
"Ah-right away...I'll be right back with that~!" the younger man hurries off.
Lucy smacks Natsu.
"Stop it."
"He was staring...and he wasn't being subtle...He's supposed to be a host. Aren't they gentlemanly and such?"
"A Host's job at a club like this is to make a woman feel desirable and sexy. It's probably just a habit for him."
Natsu's snort tells her how he feels about that. "Don't worry. Eve's not my type...he's a little on the short side...and lacking in the muscle tone department...and wrong attitude." she smiles softly.
"So Hibiki had those things?"
"No he had charm...and I'm attracted to it and a nice presentation. Many women are. But I'm older now and I know what I really like and what I really don't. Besides...being around them is stressful to me in *that* way." Natsu blinks but can't help but grin. "Eve is particularly stressful as his constant fawning grates on my nerves. I instinctively can tell that...while it's sincere it's still only so deep. I don't want such constant attention if it's not for me romantically." She shrugs. "Guess I'm weird. It's why I don't come here except for things like this."
"How did you get a V.I.P card then?"
"It's technically Freeds. He would work here years ago and gave it to me when I started bounty hunting with Ichiya's blessing."
"And why only she is never questioned when showing one talking about a real job."
The couple turns to look at the person who decided to join the conversation.
Hibiki was clad in his usual suit and adjusts his tie calmly. "Lucy, I am glad to see you outside of passing at a race function. It's been a while."
"Well, since I retired I haven't really had a need to frequent here."
"Too true. The bounty hunting business certainly lost two lovely flowers that day. So, why are you here? Need extra cash and going after a bounty? There are some hefty ones offered by the nation of Fiore lately..." he rolls a nice desk chair out of a darkened corner.
"No, nothing so easy."
"Ah a challenge. Please, continue." sitting easily he leans back fingers intertwined on his abdomen.
"What can you tell me about the Kotobuki corporation and BlueNote?" Lucy watched in curiosity as Hibiki's normally calm pulses of color freeze and haze to a darker one. "W-why are you asking about such a things? Those are commonly requested things..."
"Ah so you know of them." Lucy smiles gently.
"A bit."
"More I'd wager by your evasiveness. I know it comes at a price especially if you have to dig. But I don't think you do. Call it a woman's intuition, but I think you did this digging quite a while ago. So that would only entail a processing and delivery fee? No assembly required." She smiles.
"As efficient as ever in negotiations, I see." He laughs weakly as he presses a button on the wall revealing a computer screen and a keyboard comes sliding out.
"It's a gift. I see you've upgraded since the last time I was here. Impressive. I figured this entire room was your mainframe. It's kept far too cold in this VIP room for customer comfort even with alcohol in their system."
"More requests for more sensitive data mining, requires a better set up." he pauses hovering his fingers over the keyboard. "Why?"
"Hmm?"
"Why does the Hawkeye of Hardbodies and the Flame Dragon of Fiore want to know about these companies? Certainly they could be living just fine without the information."
Natsu pulls a vial from his coat and tosses it towards Hibiki, who catches it then stares at it. "What is...?"
"Chemical N7227 version 2.0 I guess. It's stronger. Know anything about this that will help us?" Natsu asked absently.
"Where did you get that?" Hibiki asks quietly. "We have been looking for leads on this forever."
"You knew about this." Natsu seems a bit irritated.
"Not exactly. But Ichiya-san knew that his formula has been missing for some time after his computer got hacked two years ago. But we couldn't trace it nor did it seem like anything was happening with it..."
"Why would Ichiya have it...?" Lucy looks confused. Hibiki looks at her in confusion. "Because Ichiya opened this place after his medical company closed..."
"But...his name is Ichiya Vandalay. Not Kotobuki."
"Vandelay is his middle name. He started going by that name to avoid too much backlash and to also give this business a fighting chance. As you could imagine Kotobuki had a bit of a stigma attached to it. But he keeps his recipes under tight wraps to keep them from getting out. But that, the drug that caused all of the trouble was missing...you can imagine how panicked he was. Now that it's arisen..."
"That popped off the back of a truck barreling down the mountain pass the morning after our broken up meet."
"Ichiya-san will not be happy about it. What does BlueNote have to do with this?"
"WHat do you know about them?" Natsu asks instead.
Eve walks through the door carrying a scotch for Natsu and an amaretto sour for you M'lady."
"I didn't ask..."
"No. But it is your favorite. We put extra ice in it as per your usual request."
"Usual request?" Natsu looks over at her.
"I told you Freed came here a lot."
"And she dated me for a while." Hibiki smiles absently as he types.
"We covered that before you arrived." Lucy mutters softly into her glass. Eve simply smiles as he heads out. Natsu seems a bit miffed but nothing too bad.
"BlueNote is a odd company. They offer private security but have several charities where they help orphaned children. Specifically, girls."
"That would fit with what we know. Apparently, two gentlemen working for them attempted to kidnap me as a child. They failed but didn't seem to fail with others. Sometimes it seems that they saved girls from the system just to take them in. Our source says that they taught these girls means of fighting." Lucy eyes the ice cubes as they bob about her glass. "If not for my...abilities. I would be one of them."
"Abilities? Wait. YOU were affected by N7227? Wait, wait! wait! WHy didn't you tell me!?"
"Why would I?" she lifts a brow at him.
"Well, because we...we...had something."
"Went out for a while? Yeah...sorry. But It's not a secret I could just tell to anyone." She looks down at the drink clasped in between her hands.
"But you could tell it to a guy you've known less than six months..."
"That sounds a bit like jealousy." She looks up noting the Dark muddy forest green that flared around him.
"It isn't. Just a observation." The colors begin to attempt to darken to a gray. Lucy fights the urge to roll her eyes.
"It could also be because I'm not normal either. Which is why she trusts me." Natsu stares thoughtfully over his glass at the man who suddenly looks at Natsu who could smell his spike of fear. The Captain had to fight the urge to smile threateningly at the man. Natsu wasn't sure why the man's fear triggered his need to chase but he held himself in check.
Barely.
Especially since Lucy was eyeing him very closely.
"N..Not normal?" Natsu holds out his glass on the side by the rim, for Hibiki to see what's left of his contents. He still had a good half a glass left as he shifts forward sliding his shoe across the plush carpet below him. Hibiki looked on in confusion and starts when there's a loud *pop* before fire kicks up on top of his drink. The blue flame dances merrily as it consumes the alcohol fumes. Casually Natsu tips the glass towards his face and takes a sip smiling to himself, enjoying the way the fire enhanced the flavor.
"H-how...did?"
"I instantly increased the heat on the surface of the liquid for a second or two. With the liquid being alcohol, instead of boiling (as I wasn't focusing on all of the drink, just the surface.) the top spontaneously combusted, attempting to create a large bubble. I simply used the static I picked up around here to create a spark. Not really my forte, but I've learned to use things in my environment to my advantage." He shrugs. "Laxus is better at using static than I am. I can only use the spark naturally created by friction and use the heat produced from it for my means. He can actually make it into much more."
The informant stares in faint horror as the man continues to drink the flaming drink without catching his hair, or losing his eyebrows to the flame. In fact if he wasn't too sure but he was fairly sure that the man was eating the flame...Glancing over at Lucy he blinks at what he sees. The girl was amused by him and simply shaking her head. She didn't show the first shred of fear. But then if her 'brother' used...electricity, fire wouldn't seem to strange to her, he'd imagine.
"H-how?"
Natsu shrugged. "Ichiya's drug. We're sort of byproducts of it. All of our powers are different but most of us have adapted."
"Hibiki, please breath. You are going to suffocate if you do not take a breath." Lucy says gently, without looking at him. "Your Aura was darkening and beginning to show dark cracks about your lung area. We didn't not come here to kill you with shock..."
"Or by any other means..."
"We just need to know more about Kotobuki Industries and BlueNote and now I have a idea as to how they interrelate." Both men look at her. "It's not too hard to figure out. BlueNote Mercenaries used adopted girls while my ability as assassins yes? The side effects of the drugs created us. BlueNote would want more. After all, it would make for a very profitable business." she thinks. "Do you have a way of finding a list?"
"Ah. Yes I have a list of them and of the official in the government looking to work with them and the supply. Simple enough."
"One last question then." Natsu pops in. "Brain was killed...but his group still moves due to orders seemingly coming from above them. Their too organized. Do you know if they were absorbed by another group and if so who?"
Hibiki frowns. "I did get wind of Brain/Zero's untimely demise, though that's just one less crazy off the streets. I don't know who's running it but I do know that he was seen having a very deep conversation with Pretch head of Grimoire Heart about a week before his sudden death."
"Grimoire Heart...those where the people that was in the firefight outside the back of my garage, that day." Lucy looks faintly worried while Natsu looks grim.
"Give us anything you think could help us. In return you'll not only get payment we'll deliver to you personally the names of those selling the modified N7227 so that you and Ichiya can do what you want with them. How's that?"
Hibiki nods. "I can agree to that. But wouldn't it be better to allow the police some knowledge of this?"
"The police know, media, knows, and then the enemy knows. Besides we can't be sure that there aren't moles in the force either. In fact, I'd bet money that there is." Natsu finishes his drink in one shot before setting it on the side table. Lucy takes a tentative sip of hers again looking down. "It can't get out again. With us it simply made us a bit different."
"Some, obviously, argue, better." Hibiki says as his fingers fly across the board.
"Perhaps. But what happens now that this stuff is stronger? We were children, highly adaptable...if they put it into a full grown adult..."
Hibiki sighs. "If they aren't very lucky, they would probably die. Or at the very least become brain dead."
"Neither of those are very good options."
"But their the very real options, at this point in time. There was a reason Ichiya-san kept the drug at such a low potency. It needed to build up in the subjects system to help them the most. Such a drastic change at once could kill them."
"Then we'll stop them. We have to. If this gets out...people will start digging. And all of the lives everyone attached to this situation had managed to carve out will be gone. I'm pretty sure they'd want to put us into testing facilities." Lucy shudders.
"Worst. People would probably actually start thinking of us a monsters. Living normally would be impossible."
"Then we'd better handle this among the Families. Otherwise even they will be brought into the light. Our very way of life will probably disintegrate." Hibiki frowns as he eyes his softly humming printer.
Laxus stares down at the body of Obra panting faintly. That bastard had been hard to pin down and even harder to kill. He's pretty sure the guy was working with someone but he kept his mouth shut even until the end. Even with Freed as back up and the two mercenaries they'd happened to meet on the same mission.
Merdy and Ultear where dangerous women. But seemed, to be on the up and up for the most part. They had their own reasons for wanting the bastard dead but they both wanted the same thing at the moment and that suited them just fine. Freed was searching the man's body for any clues. Laxus was staring after Ultear who had wandered off to call her 'superior' and tell him the good news. Merdy is watching him and smiles. "Don't worry. We have no qualms with you. In fact of the Families we rather like you, Fairy Tail."
"Huh?"
"We are allies especially in this cause."
"Hm. You'll have to forgive me if I'm a bit skeptical of people I just met."
"I would expect you to be. Fairy Tail has their fair share of enemies." She simply smiles.
"Just know that in this you have no fear. I'm sure our leader would say in most things you should have no fear when it comes to us and our intentions."
"And who is your leader, then?"
"I'm not at liberty to say. But you have met him and he is a very close ally to your master." Ultear gets off the phone and waves at her. "Oh. Looks like I have to go. But if you need us here." she hands him a card. "We know how to contact you." She waves as she hurries off.
Freed walks up next to Laxus, his boots making soft clicking sounds on the concrete of the abandoned park. "What do you think?"
"I think we don't have much to worry about with them..." he flips the card over and frowns at the words written on the back:
"Don't eat local bacon. It isn't good for you. Carefully selected Prosciutto in moderation isn't so bad.- Merdy"
"What do you think it means?"
"I have a good idea...but I wish Hoshi was here. Her gift helps take the mystery out of most people. I think we're going to have to make a move soon to end this. But I don't know where. But I think this may be a clue."
"I take it we're heading to the capitol?"
"Yes...but not before I go back home." Laxus pulls out a piece of Silk from his pocket and wraps the card dropping it into a ziplock bag which came from the same location.
"Why do you carry things like that around?"
"I have two Psychic women in my life. I've learned some things in my living with them. This is the best I can do. I need this as 'clean' as possible before I had it to them. They'll get the best readings off of it this way." He hands it to Freed. "Don't touch the area around the card...just the edge of the bag. We we get back to the car put it in the glove compartment."
"You don't put anything in your glove compartment except for...a supply of silk squares and Ziplock bags of various sizes...oh"
"I told you I had a reason for that. Did you find anything on him?"
"Another vial. And this." Freed holds up a odd shaped doll. It looked like a little demon with a hat made of leaves. It had white teeth and eyes wore a little blue cape and had a tail. "It is very well made..." Freed turns it over in his hands.
"Creepy little shit." Laxus buckles up as Freed continues to eye the doll. "But I think it's mechanical. Like...a robot sort of. It was always on his shoulder, kinda like a parrot."
"So...a puppet."
"Strange one though. Creepy. Maybe Lucy can take it apart for us. He was abnormally attached to it."
"Which means it's important."
"Your glove box blocks out most electronic devices right?" Freed opens the glove box again and none too gently chuckes the doll inside. Closing the box with a firm "snap."
"Yeah. Lucy shielded it as a joke after I told her why I kept it clean of items and wanted a supply of silk and ziplock bags in there. But I'm not completely sure she understood how handy it is."
"She probably did. She has a completely shielded room hidden in her place too you know. I'm not allowed in alone." Freed pouts.
"Probably because you'd get into something."
"Levy can go in!"
"Levy is also less likely to break something because she was being overly nosey about Lucy's private life."
"I'm hurt."
"Truth tends to do that."