My family is strange... no other words come to mind. They... scare me.
Jose's tone was firm as he gave his ultimatum. "You will sign this contract. Now. I've wasted too much of my time and resources on you to turn back now. Either you sign, or I can't guarentee you'll wake up in the morning a happy woman. Or that you'll wake up at all."
Lucy swallowed hard at his implication and stood from her seat shakily, backing away from him slowly. He followed, and she didn't realise until a bit too late that he was backing her up against the one thing she hadn't thought about. The terrace.
Looking out, she realized with much anxiety that she was at least twenty stories high, if not more. She would live, yes, but only if she did it right. Falling head first was not an option.
"What will you do, Lucy-chan?" Jose spoke mockingly. "Surely you realize the situation you've put yourself into, no? I mean, if you had just signed the first contract, none of this would've been neseccary."
Lucy scoffed. "You're saying its my fault you can't write out a proper contract? I feel bad for you. Really, I do. It must suck having so many people hate your guts. I wonder if they'll take numbers for who gets to dance oon your grave first? Probably Rock, Paper, Scissors. Maybe even flip a coin? What do you think?"
"I think you're done talking now." Jose spat as her back was pressed against the cold marble of the terrace railway. She looked behind her uncertainly. All sorts of thoughts ran through her head. Physics equations she had once read, something about one square yard of drag reducing fall speed by 30%? But she had nothing to use.
Her thoughts were cut off by the words of her attacker. "Are you sure we can't make a deal?"
That was the last thing she saw before a hard shove to her shoulders sent her flailing over the marble railway. Grasping desperately for a hold on the railing she bruised and cut her hands, the action fruitless as her descent continued unfaltered. She tried to scream, but her mouth wouldn't open against the force being applied to it.
She had once read that in times of great stress, the senses become hyperactive, making time seem to go slower. This was true, she found, as every tiny detail began to register and her brain went in overdrive. Her fingers were sore but she didn't dare look as she clawed onto the rockface that was the side of the building, grasping for dear life but gaining no hand hold. Only more pain.
She could feel the warm blood trickle onto her palms but that was the least of her worries. She needed to live. People had survived falls from tens of thousands of feet before, right? She could do it... probably.
Gasping to breathe she reaslised the fal should've lasted a few seconds, but it felt so long. Minutes, hours, she couldn't tell. But if she was going to die, she wanted to get it over with.
It was then the ground came up to meet her. She had barely enough time to shift into a position she felt would cause less stress on her body, but the crunch upon impact made her think perhaps she didn't do it well.
The darkness took over shortly afterward.
Natsu stiffened in his seat as the pulled into the driveway of Phantom Headquarters. "Something's happened." He said, his voice small and panicky. ""Something's happened to Lucy."
The trio cast him a strange look but when the pink-tinted headlights fanned over the crumpled form of a person, their blood ran cold. Natsu was the first to act, springing out of the car mid-turn and bolting out, screaming for direction. He knew she was there, and he cursed his vision yet again. Where was she?
Gajeel jumped out after him, Natsu following his heavy steps. "Here she is." The older boy spoke, oddly calm though obviously festering on the inside. Natsu dropped to his knees beside the blonde, feeling her for injuries with feather-light touches. He winced as his fingers grazed her leg, a thick and warm substance sticking to the tips.
"She's bleeding!" He shouted to the others. Gray quickly dialed up 911 and Master, now aware how late it really was. No later than three in the morning he could assure you. He joined the others around Lucy as they examined her, and he was suddenly glad Natsu couldn't see.
Her face was pale and her lips were becoming blue at the edges. Her hair was stained crimson in some areas, no doubt with blood. There was alot of it, covering her hands and arms, pooling beneath her feet. Her leg was definitely broken, bent in an unnatural way with a buldge that could only be the fractured bone prssing against the skin. He had to look away.
Looking around he realized Gajeel was nowhere to be found.
This thought was pushed from his mind as the flashing lights of an ambulance blared to life at the end of the drive.
Gajeel stalked down the hallway. White hot adrenilane flashed through his veins and his nails dug into his gripped fists. Jose would pay.
"I thought you had more class than that," He shouted as he entered, "Throwing a defenseless girl from the twenty-third floor? Have you lost your soul completely?" The man in question seemed a bit off put as Gajeel stormed right up to him and grasped his collar.
"Ah," Jose said sweetly, his voice sickly. "Why aren't you a sight for sore eyes, Gajeel-kun? It's been what? A year?"
Gajeel growled. "Eleven months, twenty-seven days."
"Oh, the time does fly." Jose squealed, Gajeel's hold on his shirt front never once faltering though his fist shook with raw rage. "You're rather missed around here. Why don't you come back? I'm sure the guys would love having you back on."
"Not on your life." Came the instant reply. "I value my soul too much to sell it to the devil you are."
"Oh, poo," Jose pouted. "You never were much fun, Gajeel-kun. Just like your mother." Gajeel's grip on his shortfront moved to his neck, his other hand rising to join in. "Don't bring her into this." He growled. "Don't you dare bring my mother into this."
"Alright," Jose spoke calmly, despite the two hands gripping his throat feircely. "But we'll have to speak of it eventually."
Gajeel's grip on the man suddenly loosened, and he turned away. "I have nothing to say to you otherwise." He said lowly and slowly, enunciating each syllable in crystal clarity.
"You killed her, that's all there is to it." With that said he continued his exit, pausing in the door way only for a second.
"I advise you to leave my friends alone," He said. "Father."
He never looked back.
GASP! hehe. So, who though Natsu was gunna catch Lucy? Hehehehe. I stuck him in there just to fool you. Gotcha! But Mira's car *Shiver* Although a girl, I would burn that car if ever it was given to me.