"Oh, Lucy, you'd look so adorable in this dress, don't you think?" Elizabeth, or Lizzy as she liked to be called, asked, stuffing a corseted pink gown in the young woman's face.
"Lizzy, do not make me get Lord Makarov," Lucy replied, sipping on her tea as she
breathed in the sweet, unpleasant smell of opium, along with stale ale and sandalwood. The little
girl looked disappointed at the blonde's candor, but went merrily on her way, going to the next
victim on her list which, thank Mavis, was Mirajane.
"Oh come now, Lucy; lighten up a bit, why don't you," Erza said, clapping her on the
back as she dropped down next to her. "Even Lady Luck has to dress up once in a while," The
red haired woman grinned cheekily, ordering herself a whisky. She felt someone sit down on her
left and turned to see Gray smirking at her.
"Like at Viscount Druitt's party that we wen…"
"Lucy, Erza, Gray," Lord Makarov interrupted, staring down at us from the second floor.
"Levy 'called'. She said you three have a mission."
"What is it this time?" Gray asked, taking a drink of his ale. "Some rogue mage killing
people? 'Cause we dealt with that last week."
"No, it seems as though the young Earl Phantomhive is seeking information about Fairy
Tail," He replied, looking at Lucy worriedly as the pressure on the room increased. After all,
they were the reason her mother died. Erza rubbed her back soothingly, trying to calm down the
younger girl.
"I'm fine Erza." She said, looking up at Makarov as he continued.
"I would like Lucy to take this one alone," He stated, causing Erza and Gray to cry out in
protest. "At least until he asks for help going after them. I think that only Lucy will be able to
give them everything they need. In the mea time, I want you two to go and see Levy, look at the
bodies again, but this time I want you to do a scan with you magic to see if they were mages.
That will give us some perspective on what that damned group is doing."
"My Lord, you think it wise to leave her here by herself? I heard that the Phantomhive
boy has two demons in his midst." Erza asked, equipping her sword and strapping it on her waist.
Gray stood next to her, his hand lighting up every few seconds as he flexed his fingers.
"Lucy can handle demons just fine. I'm more curious as to how she will handle nobility
after all these years." The old man replied, belching after he finished his ale.
"I don't," Gray remarked, pushing off the wall to lean against the banister. "She's too
young to be facing her demons so soon,"
"Gray, Erza; I understand that you feel protective of Lucy, but this is something she
needs to do," He sternly, turning to look at his 'children'. "Do you understand?"
"
Yes, Master," They chorused together, bowing formally at the waist, before disappearing
in a two single columns of light.
Lucy smiled briefly as she heard the doors to the Lovely Hearts Tavern open and felt the
aura of power coming closer to her table; seated around her was her cousin Laxus and his team:
the Thunder God Tribe. Max led the young Earl over to our table, after exchanging a few words.
He was handsome, in a dark way and had intriguing eyes that were guarded, much like her own.
When he arrived at her table, his lips parted to speak, but she cut him off with a smirk:
"What can we do for you, Earl Phantomhive?" His eye widened for a brief moment,
before his expression became serious.
"Well, you can start by telling me everything you know about Fairy Tail," He replied,
hands on hips with a frown marring his porcelain face.
"Oh, really?" She remarked, quirking an eyebrow at his straightforwardness. "Well then,
I might as well get a private room with his high and mightiness, eh Laxus?" She turned back
towards he cousin, who smirked at her.
"I would say so, Lady Luck." He said, leaning back against his seat, crossing his arms.
Lucy stood up and began to walk away, only to turn around and look at Ceil questioningly.
"Are you coming, Your Grace, or are you going to stand there like a dunce all day?" She
asked, as she turned back around to go into one of the back rooms; the ones that didn't have
opium in it.
Ciel Phantomhive wasn't usually quick to anger… unless you tested his patience one to
many times. And this- girl, was wearing that tolerance down rather fast; with her blunt words,
witty remarks, and her infuriating grin that never seemed to leave her face.
The room that they entered was large, with two couches facing each other, a small table
in between them and a chess board in the middle. The fireplace provided enough light to see
everything in the dim room, along with the candles that adorned the walls. 'Lucky' Lucy sat
down on one of the couches, crossing her left leg over her right as she gestured to the other
cream colored couch.
"Now, what do you want with Fairy Tail?" Lucy asked as Ciel sat down. She flicked a
finger, moving one of the ivory pawns on the chessboard, looking at him expectantly.
"The Queen would like me to investigate the recent bodies that have been appearing in
the city. We went to the Undertaker who told us to talk to Levy," Ciel began, moving his piece of
ebony.
"Ah, my little bookworm. How is she?" Lucy asked, moving her bishop close to Ciel's
pawn, but not close enough for him to take it. A game of cat and mouse… and he was the mouse.
"V-" Ciel began, but Lucy stopped him, pointing to Sebastian to talk.
"Eccentric, my Lady, to say the least. Her price for information is strange. She also
informed us that Fairy Tail was rumored to have killed the magic-users." Sebastian answered,
smiling at the blonde. Lucy nodded in agreement, turning her attention back to the Earl.
"Yes, it is true. Some of our mages have gone missing, only to show up a week later dead
in an ally way. Very cliché. The only reason we know its Fairy Tail, would be their insignia; a
brand that looks like some sort of bird."
"Sebastian," Ciel ordered, his blue eye narrowing dangerously at the chess pieces,
contemplating on something. "Go back to the Undertaker and look at the bodies for the brand."
"Yes, my young Lord," The raven haired butler said, bowing at the waist before
disappearing from the room. Lucy looked at Ciel curiously, moving her Queen strategically on
the board.
"Tell me, Lord Phantomhive, why are you looking for Fairy Tail?"
"If I tell you, you have to tell me why you decided to become an assassin?" He replied
frowning, rubbing his family ring.
"That answer is simple enough." Lucy began, leaning away from the game as she leaned
her head against her hand, continuing: "Most… people don't trust magic. They think it's evil and
damned. It doesn't matter who you are or what you do; if you use magic then you are beneath
them. For instance, that demon that you have as your shadow? He wouldn't be able to live a
normal life if humans knew what he was. He would be captured and sent back to Hell." She
paused again, sipping on her liquor.
"How did you know then?" Ciel asked, looking at her as if she were life's greatest
mystery. She twirled her right hand, collecting her magic; it twisted and formed around her hand
in a soft incandescent blue.
"This is my magic energy. It flows in my body," She twisted her hand, changing the
energy to a dark and dangerous color, like the color of a panther. "This is demon energy. Your
butler has a particular aura that has this," She gestured to it. "all around it. You probably can't
see it because you have not been around magic long enough. Anyway, you asked why I decided
to become an assassin," She leaned in, across the table, looking at him with daring eyes.
"Because I have a vendetta that has yet to be accomplished." Her tone, along with her eyes, made
him shiver slightly by how threatening she really was. This is the reason she was the best.
"I'm looking for Fairy Tail because the Queen issued me an order and I answer it," Ciel
answered, weaving his fingers together as he too, leaned back in his seat. "That and I gave up my
soul for revenge and I intend to see to it."
"On who?" Lucy asked, continuing the game of chess.
"On the people who murdered my family and burned down my estate," He replied.
"Though I have to thank them."
"Oh?" Lucy murmured, intrigued with the Phantomhive's tale.
"They made me into the man I am today. Made me stronger, more knowledgeable. I
intend on seeking my revenge, but I'm going to wait, bide my time until they come to kill me
too. And when they do, I'll be ready to… strike back."
"You are foolish," Lucy said, but before Ciel could protest, she continued: "But you have
courage. My troupe and I will help you, but we do not come at a low price,"
"Money is of no issue," Ciel remarked, smirking as she fell for his trap.
Lucy quirked a thin blonde eyebrow at him. "It's 100 pounds for every mage we kill; 50
for every one we capture. My ensemble and I cost 200 pounds each. Be wary, that when you hire
you are also hiring our skills as well as our magic,"
"Skills?" Ciel questioned.
"Erza is a seduction specialist; she can get you the answers you need from just about
anyone who will fall for a pretty face; she's a warrior first, though. Gray is the same, but just for
the ladies. He's just as charming as Viscount Druitt with half the effort; luckily he's not as
pigheaded as that blonde is." Lucy explained, moving her knight out of Ciel's reached.
"And what about you?" Ciel asked, curious as to what her skills included.
"I am the brain of the operation; building blueprints, siege work, and need be… torture."
She clarified.
"You specialize in torture?"
"Sometimes when seduction and flirting do not work, you need to get your hands dirty in
order to get what you want. I, myself, don't do the torture, but my spirits do," She held up a key
ring and plucked a single key from it. A symbol glowed in the light of the room: Gemini. "Did
you know that one form of pain… is realizing everything you've done in your life? Gemini, or
the twins, can copy just about anyone and will know the entirety of their life. I only ask this of
Gemini when I need to,"
"What other terms do you have?"
"Just some minor things; you can work out the details later with Ezra or Gray," Lucy
said, downing the rest of her drink before getting up off the couch. "Well, I'd say it was a
pleasure, Your Grace, but then I'd be lying. You know the way out and if you don't, well then
call that butler of yours to help you. I'll see you bright and early tomorrow morning to go over
plans." She stopped just as she passed out of the doorway, gazing back at the young man with the
dark hair and bright blue eyes. "Oh and checkmate."
Truth be seen, the ivory Queen stood next to the ebony King.