Disclaimer: I am not-so-well when posing this - I don't own Fairy Tail, Hiro Mashima does~

Anyway, before you read, I wasn't exactly feeling well when writing this chapter, so if you spot any mistakes can you send them me in a PM? And I'm not too happy with this one either, but that can't be helped~

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Awkwardly enough, Carbuncle found himself thinking of Cobra.

Not any of the members of his team, whom he has yet to figure out any of them – why on Earth they were following him was beyond him, as this wasn't a simple mission that someone would just go on for the sake of it. Not any of his former colleagues, like Celeste (Carbuncle remembered that he had to ask the eccentric individual just what sort of drugs he was on) and his workmates. Not even any of his family that he left behind when he ran off to work for the Magic Council.

But why on Earth he was thinking about Cobra eluded him. The azure-haired male (the red hair-dye had washed out after the first few days, leaving him with his natural blue hair) was thinking about the irritatingly stupid stripper. For him, it was completely laughable, and he just didn't know why he was thinking of him now of all times. It wasn't as if there was anything around that reminded him of the maroon-haired criminal – just the backdrop of a pub, similar to when they first met.

This pub, one of the many dispersed around Narcisca, was quickly growing to become one of his favourites. It fit the bill for everything he liked in a pub – large, spacious and had a distinct lack of any idiots around to ruin his day. The tables had a shine to them, despite the fact that they were wood, and the glasses were clean enough that you wouldn't get some ridiculous disease.

He couldn't help but cringe as he remembered the time he found a freaking snail in his glass.

Suffice to say, that bar doesn't exist anymore.

But other than that, the 'Beautiful Bloom' – he almost grimaced at how cheesy (How else could he describe it) the name was – held the type of class that was common for a place like Narcisca, so that also added to its appeal for someone like Carbuncle. After all, it was very rare for people to start something in a bar like this, making it perfect for the agent to plan for the upcoming attack on Red Fail, or whatever it I they were called.

It was obvious to everyone that he held no respect for that Dark Guild, and he would have fun crushing the rabble that made up the group.

…That was uncharacteristically dark.

He could only stare at his hands in shock, slightly unnerved that he would ever enjoy killing people. He may have chosen this sort of lifestyle, but that didn't necessarily mean that he enjoys killing others – it was just an inevitability that he accepted. In his line of work, it was common that there would be death, but he never actively searched it out. This made it jarring to find that he was going to enjoy crushing the guild, and everyone in it, if it was full of people like that one grunt.

Since he had forgotten the grunt name, he decided to just call him 'Cobra #2', since they probably shared the same type of terminal stupidity.

Actually, maybe I should call him Hibiki – after all it was probably one of his countless frog spawn that he had with one of his desperate fans.

At this point, he knew he was getting side-tracked by the logistics behind the spawn of stupidity, but it was a nice distraction. It helped to move his mind away from the inevitable future that Carbuncle knew would be filled with heart-breaking scarlet and the cries of the pseudo-innocent. And to his worn mind I was a legitimate thing to think over – it could be possible, what with how…promiscuous, people like the Trimens are, it wouldn't be a shock to find that they had children world-wide.

It disgusted him that he had once been friends with him. He would still be friends with them to this day if it wasn't for Karen Lilica. They grew up together, and whilst they went their separate ways, they never lost contact with the other – despite how busy the other was. So when he found out about her getting together with Hibiki he was happy. And when he found out that she had died, not protected by Hibiki as she should have been...

He was enraged.

It was sad, but he hadn't ever let go of that anger, so he tried to stay as far away as possible from them.

Staring into the murky liquid of the drink (whiskey, his mind supplied), he stared at his reflection, emerald staring down at honey-emerald, the surface of the liquid distorting his features. Red bled into green, burgundy-blue locks framing a rippling face, and a rueful smirk that refused to move despite the distortions. He looked positively fabulous, and he should be all over them popular magazines like 'Witch Weekly' or whatever it was called.

I need to focus, not reminisce on the past. Gathering his (numerable, if he does say so himself) wits together, he tried to focus on what was important, and that was figuring out a plan on how to infiltrate the target. The aqua-haired teen; was, admittedly, at a loss as to what to do. He could go for the surprisingly successful 'box' method, but he doubted that they would be tricked by that.

He wouldn't be surprised though, they do seem that stupid.

The other method that he was an advocate of was the surprisingly effective 'prostitute' method. It was an oddball, but it worked especially well on the hormonal ones. But he was always weary of using it, as he still hasn't gotten over how mentally scarring the last time was. With no other method in mind, it looked like he had to create a new one from scratch – not that he was adverse to this, as the other ones were getting outdated, it just meant that he would have to get creative.

And being creative was fun.

What do I know about Fail Nail…?

From what information they gathered from around town, they had found that, well, there was literally nothing on them bar from a general location. They just seem to do absolutely nothing - or at least nothing noteworthy, which probably explains why the Oracion Seis wants them terminated. Carbuncle himself would probably want them to disappear, if they just sat down all day and did jack-all as a guild.

Great, now I'm sympathising with a Dark Guild. This is almost as strange as that time I discovered 'selfies'

Regardless of the surrealism, he was disappointed in himself for not finding enough about them. They could have missed something in their search, something that would make them respect them (which was doubtful, but there was always the chance – no matter how small or infinitesimal it actually was) and think twice about belittling them. All they had that was concrete was their general location, and it wasn't even that climactic. There wasn't any dungeon to trek through, or dangerous forests that housed beasts so evil that they had to be sealed there for eternity, and there weren't even any keys they had to get to gain access to it.

It was just on the outskirts of town, ironically, and they were near it before being distracted by the introduction of Iname.

Now that was a curious event – something that he hadn't ever expected from the Creation Mage. He must be interested in something here, and the Crystal Mage wanted to know what. This sentiment was shared with his partner, Blaine, who seemed to have devoted most of her time in finding the male again. She must be intrigued by his magic, and may want to use it to further her own personal goal.

He still hadn't gotten round to asking her about that gauntlet of hers, but it was on his to-do list. It was an intriguing piece of equipment, and he yearned to find out more about it.

Now that the agent thought about it, he couldn't help but feel as if he didn't know anything real about the girl. She was almost as guarded as he was. All he knew about her was that she was a cold, yet extremely curious girl that had the tendency to speak in a way that he had never encountered before. That, and her magic involves speeding up or slowing down an individual, but he felt as if he was missing something when it came to her character.

Something blatantly obvious.

And not to mention Hale, the child that was searching for a girl. He didn't know why, but it grated on his nerves for him to be searching for someone that he was most certainly in love with. Personally, he didn't see the point in love, as he had learnt that there was no such thing. He even said this to the young child's face, who swiftly became enraged. He hadn't seen hide or hair of him since, but Blaine seemed to accept the fact that he had left, and continued with the mission.

Carbuncle could only wish the boy luck, wherever he may be, but he was bound to meet him again. Those sorts of occurrences seem to happen naturally, and there was no way for him to avoid meeting him again.

"I didn't take you for the type to drink," Looking up from his spot; he was face to face with someone he never expected to come across in a bar like this.

"Angel?" The confusion was evident in his voice, for it must be, as why else would that send the witch into mad cackles. The azure-haired male was bewildered – why was she here now of all times? It was the sort of thing that would be suspicious to anyone, so he didn't feel like an idiot for being confused, but he still wanted to know why she was here and not…wherever people like her go.

"You want to know why I am here don't you." Without even asking, she took a seat, leaning forward with her hands cradling her head. "You want to know just why I am here, talking to you at this very moment in time?"

Carbuncle still thought of her as a Bitch. It was like she was born to be a bitch or something.

"Yes." Following the non-verbal threat, Carbuncle had to tack on a hasty 'please' to avoid the woman's wrath. He still had to avoid angering her, for she was still an extremely strong woman that could ruin him if he got on her bad side. "Angel, why are you here?"

"Who are you to take that tone with me?" She made a point of lifting one of her golden keys up, the Key of the Twins, if he wasn't mistaken. "And I think I'll tell you when your little friend arrives?"

Little friend? Who would that be? The fashion sense that you are obviously lacking?

"Do you mean…Blaine?" It was the only person who could constitute the term 'friend', but even that was a stretch. They were acquaintances, nothing more. "If I wait, will you tell me?"

"Is there something wrong with your hearing? I'm pretty sure that I said that already…" She trailed off, playing around with the lustrous key in her grip. "But I don't think you have to wait long."

He was about to ask why, but was interrupted by the arrival of Blaine, who did not look happy. Her hair was dishevelled, and she had a dangerously tight grip on her gauntlet as her icy-blue eye bore holes into the Oracion Seis member. She looked ready for a fight, and if he didn't know better he would have thought she would have lashed out – but she wouldn't jeopardize the mission like that, she knew the importance of success.

"I didn't realise it was customary to dine with proctors." Her icy eyes were colder than even the harshest tundra, with a voice like steel, as she made to sit next to Carbuncle. He allowed it, as they both needed to be close by in case she lashes out.

"I'm stunned you already figured it out – bravo. I didn't think that you were very smart?" It pained him to take this sort of criticism without lashing out, but he had to grin and bear it. After all, soon he'll get his revenge sooner or later, when she wears a beautiful pair of silver shackles.

"So you're our proctor." It was a statement, and it was taken as such. But he was ignored by the females as they had their verbal war. "What are you judging us on?"

"I'm here more because of a little…investment I placed on you. That, and to report to Master Brain when if you succeed or not with your missions." Not even looking at him, it was clear how low she thought of the male, keeping her entire focus on Blaine.

"So you have placed a bet on us then." Carbuncle had never seen the girl so iron-clad before. "Where on the spectrum do you lay?" He wanted to interject, to say anything, but he had to leave the two girls to it. He would have to trust Blaine's judgement; even if he was loathe to do it.

He hated not being able to take control.

"I think you'll succeed. Racer thinks you'll fail, and this little 'team-spread' of yours will fail. You wouldn't be the first to die in our little test." With her role revealed, she clicked her fingers, ordering a waiter over. "Strawberry Daiquiri." The order was given, and the waiter hurried off to the bar to fix the drink up. "To be honest, you should be proud – normally I condemn hopefuls to death." Angel reclined in her seat, relaxing into it whilst the two process the information.

"So…you, Angel of the Oracion Seis, believe that we'll succeed?" To say Blaine was sceptical would be an understatement, and it was a sentiment that Carbuncle himself shared with the peculiar woman. Why would someone who was so patronising put her money, her jewels, on them? It was a curveball, and a steep one at that.

"Indeed, I do." With that said, she stood from her seat, waving behind her in a nonchalant goodbye. She had left just as abruptly, leaving like the wind, leaving the duo stupefied.

"…Did you notice that she didn't say anything as to why she was here?" Carbuncle mentioned, as soon as the retreating figure had faded from view. "It was almost like she was teasing us with her presence." And to Carbuncle, it really did. Angel was one of those people that you just couldn't figure out, resembling the capricious spirit that she uses most.

"...I was forced here to be taunted." Dead-pan, Blaine to made to leave, but not before throwing behind her a swift note to meet her in front of the 'place'. The 'place' must be her way of telling him to meet near their target, and he was left to his thoughts once more.

It didn't take a genius to figure out that Angel was still around, somewhere, watching their every movement. She was there to make sure that the mission was completed, even if they themselves failed. It was smart, that way they take no risks.

"Umm…Sir?" His attention was caught by the waiter, who returned looking rather sheepish. "Are you ready to pay the bill yet?"

Oh yeah…the bill.

Shit.

"…One more drink please." If he was going to pay, then he might as well at least attempt to get hammered.

Wait, I can't get hammered…I need to assault that Dark Guild… Damning the guild for his inability to get drunk, he came to the revelation that he was, indeed, screwed.

Where's Cobra when you need him? At least then he would have something to insult.

I can't believe this but... 'hashtag-darkguildissues'.

"Wake up in the morning feeling like …" He couldn't help himself. The song itself was too addicting, and he just had to sing along. "…Got my glasses I'm out the door I'm gonna hit the city." Even if he did hate himself just a tiny bit for liking the song, when it came on, it seemed to trigger something within him, and he just sings along – despite the embarrassment involved.

Oh wow, I'm relating to a 'Kezza' song…

Night had fallen, its bright emptiness blanketing the Earth in its emptiness. Oddly, the stars were absent, leaving the sky a blank canvas just ready to be painted, and the world itself seemed to be asleep. The only noise was that of the song he was listening to, the popular city oddly silent as he travelled towards the edge.

Before I leave, brush my teeth… He may be listening to music, but that didn't mean he couldn't sense something was up. He may be lingering on the outskirts but the only sound around shouldn't be from his music device (it was embarrassing, but he had completely forgotten what they were called), so something must be wrong. Sure, he may just be paranoid, but there must be something else there.

No-one is paranoid – at least not without a solid reason.

With a bottle of jack… He should be near the meeting point now. The moss ensconcing the somewhat-but-not-really derelict buildings started to thin, showing just how far away from the centre he truly was. Every step forward, every beat of the song, and he could feel his blood pumping. He was scared, scared-scared-scared for what he was about to do, afraid of the consequences of his actions, but he was also excited, in some strange perverse way.

His blood was screaming, and who was he to ignore his own nature?

Don't stop… Carbuncle was almost there. It wasn't far now, his boots kicking up dust as he moved, serenely making his way down an inconspicuous path. If you were to walk in the direction of Narcisca you wouldn't have been able to see it – or so he assumes, but he could be making excuses to save his ego – leaving it only visible if you were walking outwards. He couldn't help but to respect them being at least logical, as he could safely say not many people walk away from the luscious city.

"So here we are…" Twisting, he faced the stoical Blaine, who was hesitantly stepping forward. He could see that, she too, was slightly unnerved with the prospect of murder. "Do you think that she is watching us, even now?" Carbuncle could only presume that she was referring to their silent watcher, Angel.

"Angel?" Seeing her nod, Carbuncle didn't even have to give an affirmative – his heavy sigh said it all. "Should we?"

"After you."

"Ladies first."

"Where's the chivalry?"

Reluctant, he nodded his acceptance, walking fully up the pathway. It was strange. Usually, in situations like these, it tends to rain. It was almost disconcerting to find that it wasn't, the absence of the soft staccato making him agitated.

Emerald found ochre clay. Standing imperious, it was their target. Surrounded by crumbling brick, I stood out – the structure looking relatively pristine in comparison. The bricks looked safe, as if they wouldn't crumble or collapse at any moment, with the windows free of blemishes. It looked well kept, and not at all like a Dark Guild.

It almost made him think that they had the wrong place.

"They're a bit...how do I say this politely…" He was at a loss for words, unable to define them. "They are obviously slobs. Just look at that mess." He finally found something to judge them on, other than they're raging stupidity and their anticlimactic base.

"How curious…so this is what Dark Guilds are like?" She was left ignored as Carbuncle strode toward the door, the blonde-haired girl's question hanging in the air. He lightly tapped on the door, checking to see how sturdy it was.

The light touch nudged the barrier open.

"This is obviously a trap…" Warning Blaine to stay wary, he was given conformation in the form of her clutching her gauntlet, battle-ready. "Step back for a second, I'm going to use a spell to help u through." Speaking his thoughts out loud, he didn't want to set the girl off by accident with an unannounced spell.

"I think this is the first time I've seen you cast a spell…" At least she was eager.

"Crystal Augment: Ruby Shell." A brilliant pink circle shimmered into existence above the duo (it had been a while since he had seen it, being present only when he augmented others), raining down crimson glitter on the pair.

"What's thi-" She was cut off by a vibrant red crystal jutted from her clothes. It was almost co-ordinated in how random they spawned, the ruby structures lancing off her body in various directions. They varied in size, but they all had one primary function, that they completed brilliantly.

"Don't get lost in this place. You might not survive." With that ominous warning, he opened the door and stepped through. Out of anything he could have expected, this wasn't it.

It was grotesque.

His ruby-clad foot landed awkwardly in a puddle of unknown liquid (unknown as he refused to look down), sending droplet of the substance everywhere from the force behind it. The walls, a once non-descript crème, had become a scarlet tapestry – sanguine stains marring the surface. Careful not to touch the floor, he made small baby steps forward, unwilling to walk into a potential trap. It was obvious that 'Scarlet Nail' was no more, but what had caused it remained a mystery. The only way to truly know is to head further in, deep into the bowels of the nondescript building.

It couldn't have been Kagero – this was not his kind of technique. He wasn't this bloody.

"Watch your step." The warning came too late, as he heard the splash behind him and the mumbled expletive from the female. Laughing loudly, he wasn't able to dodge the blow to the back of the head, but he felt it was totally worth it.

It knocked his headphones out however, unleashing the music of 'Kezza' to the ruins.

He could hear how unimpressed she was – Blaine didn't even have to say anything.

"You had them in all along, even when we were talking." The agent didn't need to turn around to know she had her eyebrow raised. "How in the name of Chronos did you manage that?" It was nice to have a distraction in the gloom, and they seized it without a second thought.

With my hands up… "Magic." It didn't take a genius to figure out that she wasn't amused, if the patronising scoff was anything to go by. How a scoff could be patronising was a mystery, but Blaine made it work. "And I had it low enough to hear you, don't worry about that." Despite the jovial atmosphere, neither of the two of them missed the large paw prints in the sanguine carpet, a sign of danger if Carbuncle had ever seen one.

"…If you say so. I would have thought it to be polite to listen to people, and not to 'musik'." She seemed to stress 'music' as if it was unfamiliar, and she had just come into contact with it for the first time. "Guess like times have really changed."

"Now that I think about it, why do you speak the way that you do?" It was an enigma that Carbuncle couldn't figure out, and it had gotten to the point that he just couldn't help himself anymore. The time was nigh for some answers, even if this wasn't exactly the best place for the so-called 'Spanish Inquisition'.

I still don't know where that quote came from…it must be from ancient Fiore or something.

"You want answers?" He almost winced at how pointed that statement was. "You, of all people, want answers?" She scoffed, ice-cold amusement glittering in her eyes, as if she found the question laughable. "I don't exactly feel as if you can demand answers, considering all those secrets of yours." Moving in front of him, she carried on moving, ignoring the question entirely.

Tonight, I'm a fight, till we see the sunlight. "I see your point." Begrudgingly, he had to accept the fact that until he told her something, then she wouldn't tell him a thing. From that point on, a foreign silence invaded, and Carbuncle didn't know what to do with himself. He wasn't used to situations like this, situations where there was such a pressing silence. Speeding up, he kept pace with Blaine, walking side by side with the woman as they explored the building.

"…What is wrong with humans?"

They both stood, stock-still, as they heard the voice reverberate from within the base. The base that they were inside was almost labyrinthine, trailing deep underground. Turning the music off, the music trailing off, the two set off in a manic sprint – running head on towards the source.

"I should feel offended by how you judge us so."

…That's the voice of Iname. The metal behind the voice revealing to him just who he was, all he could hope for was that they hadn't heard the lyrics to 'Kezza'. That wouldn't be fun at all, as they needed all the advantages they could get – surprise would be key, as he doubted there ability to survive if they didn't have that on their side.

"They seem distracted." Comprehending, he nudged back trying to create as little sound as possible. The conversation was getting louder, more snippets becoming clear the closer they got. Scarlet rain fell as they ran, the liquid upheaved as they searched for the sound – leading them to a peculiar looking door. "How should we get in?" They were going to make noise; there was no doubt about that. The question was how to decrease it.

…I so hate myself for saying this but…Yolo. Gripping the bloody knob tightly, he struggled to get a grip on the slippery surface, before managing it. Twisting, he slowly pushed the door ajar, creeping inside the room. The incredibly spacious, yet empty room.

How did they fit that in here? It may have been empty, but it was still spacious – drawing attention to the two solitary figures conversing in the centre. Like the ancient gladiators of yore, they resembled two combatants, ready to fight to the death.

Barring blood-stains (from the trip down, he suspects), there was little marring Kagero – his clothes unruffled and lifeless orbs unstressed. Ironically, the same could be said for the man-demon-fear-fear-fear in front of him. Taking in his features, he was swept up in overwhelming fear, entrenching him in its terrifying embrace. Silver, wild (almost feral) hair framed a cold face, which was hidden behind an onyx bandanna. Metallic eyes that were almost frozen over were nearly as empty as the man he faced.

White skinny jeans that were blood-stained, shoes - Carbuncle realised they were vans soon enough, but it was hidden behind the stains – adorned with a blade each, resembling the talons of a predator, and a deep black T-shirt was all he wore. Curiously, he wore a red jewelled amulet that made his own magic coil in disgust. It had seen horrific things, things that would taint those that would hear its story.

"Humans are disgusting." The man's voice was rough, gravelly from disuse. "Why don't you burn in your fear?" A spiralling ray of fear was fired, only to be deflected by the Creation Mage's mirror spell.

Sending it towards the two spectators.

There was nowhere for them to go, and he didn't think his magic would be able to block a spell like that. It could be the end for him, for them.

His eye bulged.

Her grip tightened.

Time stopped.

Chapter 9, Fin~

Welp, I'm gonna cut this A/N slightly short, cause my bed is calling me and I am not exactly feeling the best in the world, so I might just sleep. Even if it is, like, 17:25 when I type this (in the U.K~)

So I'm gonna post up the OCs here now:

And Styles, I finally introduced your OC. Even if he is nameless at the minute :D

OC Table:

Ocs introduced:

The Lazy Bitch's: Zimi

QueenKazza's: Jayne

Hikari-Angel143's: Eevee

motordog's: Blaine

Arcobaleno-Lover's: 'Arrow'

Cute-Kawaii-Girl's: Hale

Hollow-Kyuubi's: Iname Kagero

Apostle of Regeneration's: ? - (Spoilers~ And 'cause there'll be more interaction in Sapphire~)

LyricsgirlR5's: Jessica

Saiyan-Styles: ? (Name not yet revealed~)

Oc's mentioned:

Arcobaleno-lover's: Rydia

LyricsgirlR5's: Nikita

Now that that is done - THANK YOU SO MUCH - Your reviews are awesome! We are at 53 reviews/ 18 Follows and 9 favourites~ I hope you liked this one enough to continue reviewing~

So until next time,

HalcyonNight.

P.S: Remember - Any questions, just drop me a Pm and I'll answer them to the best of my ability - even if it is something as simple as what a word means or to clarify what happened in a particular bit, or even just to say hi :D