Lucy heard a shriek again but this time it was so close, it sounded like it was inside her head. A feeling of vertigo washed over her and she suddenly didn't know if she was standing or lying down. The image before her flickered between the small cottage and darkness, finally settling on darkness. She opened her eyes.

Lucy was back in her apartment, lying on her bed but something wasn't right.

"Levy, get out of here!" There was a large bang and the room shook.

"I can't. He's going to kill you!"

It took Lucy a moment to understand what she was hearing. Levy and Gajeel were fighting someone in her living room. Her hands went to her belt and she found her celestial keys.

Suddenly, the bedroom door flew open.

Mr. Black, complete with black jacket and devil's mask was standing there. He held Gajeel by the neck in one hand.

"Bricks!" shouted Levy. The word "BRICKS" appeared over Mr. Black and then crashed down on his head.

He didn't even flinch. He pointed towards the window. "Vitus."

The curtains broke free from their rod and slithered across the floor. Levy screamed in horror but the fabric quickly wrapped around her, silencing her.

Blood was dripping from every orifice in Gajeel's face. Lucy had seen Gajeel after dozen's of fights but she couldn't remember him ever looking this bad. Somehow, he was still conscience and trying to pry himself from Mr. Black's grip.

"Lev—y!" Gajeel tried to shout as he choked on his own blood.

Mr. Black slammed him down into the floor. The force was hard enough that floorboards snapped. Without pausing he hoisted Gajeel back up, punched him three times in the face and then threw him against the wall. Lucy watched in shock as Gajeel's body didn't stop at the wall and instead took out half her apartment's siding. She had a clear view of the buildings and trees on the other side of the street now.

Lucy rolled off the bed and kept low so that she was out of Mr. Black's line of sight. Her fingers wrapped around a key and she silently summoned a spirit.

The twin celestial spirits Gemi and Mini appeared next to her.

Lucy reached out and grasped their hands. Whenever Gemi and Mini touched another being, they gained knowledge of that person's thoughts and could copy their appearance and magic. Lucy was concentrating on a plan.

Within seconds, the spirits nodded and instantly transformed into a copy of their summoner. The Lucy-doppelganger gave a wink and stood with her hands in the air.

"I give up. Just please don't hurt anyone else."

The real Lucy stayed crouched behind the bed. She could hear floorboards creaking as Mr. Black approached.

"I'm glad you're finally being agreeable," he said. His voice carried the same trace of arrogance that had been there in her dreams.

"You haven't given me much of a choice," said Gemini. She began to walk towards him, keeping her hands in the air.

Lucy could hear them leaving the bedroom and hope began to bubble up inside of her. If Mr. Black left with Gemini, the spirit could safely return to the Celestial World whenever she wanted. If she touched him, she might even figure out his true identity.

"Lucy, get back!"

Lucy's hope-bubble popped as Natsu's voice filled the room. She peeked over the edge of the bed in time to see the dragon slayer flying through the air.

Mr. Black moved with a speed that was surreal. In an instant he dodged the attack and landed a kick to the back of Natsu's head, sending him face first into the floor. He rubbed his hands together. "Natsu Dragneel. I thought you might be here. This ought to be fun."

Natsu swung his body around and kicked Mr. Black's shins. A normal person would have fallen to the floor but their assailant stood as motionless as a rooted tree. Before Natsu could try another attack, Mr. Black lifted his leg and slammed it into his back.

Lucy gritted her teeth but stayed out of view. The urge to help was nearly overwhelming but she was hesitant to abandon her decoy plan.

"Are you done already?" mocked Mr. Black. "Surely you can do more than that?" He pressed one of his sandals against Natsu's skull.

Seeing an opportunity, Lucy slid underneath the bed and lifted the dust cover. The movement caught Natsu's attention and he looked over. There was a moment of confusion and then understanding when he realized that the real Lucy was hiding under the bed. She hoped the new knowledge would make him a little less reckless.

Mr. Black removed his sandal from Natsu's head. "This is really disappointing, I expected you to be much stronger." He tapped the cheek of his mask. "Here, hit me with everything you got. I won't even block it."

With some effort, Natsu stood up and squared off against Mr. Black. "What do you want with Lucy?" he asked.

"My, you seem very concerned. I suppose I can give you a little hint—" He held up his hand to his mouth as if he were telling a secret. "It's not to read her latest novel."

Natsu clenched his fists and they were instantly engulfed in flames. "You still want to give me a free punch?" His voice had become deeper and Lucy shivered. Natsu didn't seem completely human when he used the more powerful elements of his dragon slayer magic.

Mr. Black made a beckoning gesture with his hand. "Bring it."

Natsu drew back and released a punch that sent a magical shockwave through the apartment. Lucy's bed groaned as it slid several feet across the floor. The papers from her latest novel fluttered around her apartment like startled doves.

Honestly, why did I ever think I was going to get my security deposit back on this apartment?

The bed shifted enough to temporarily expose her but luckily Mr. Black's body was hurling through the opening in her apartment wall. She heard a "thud" as his body hit the ground below.

Lucy lifted her head. "Do you think that did it?"

Natsu shook his head. "I don't think so. This guy's tough. Stay hidden."

"Next time he hits you, just stay down. Let him leave with Gemini," she whispered.

There was a groan and they both turned their heads. Gemini was lying on her face with her feet up over Lucy's vanity stool. Her skirt was completely up, exposing white lace panties.

"Gemini," Lucy hissed. "Get it together. She turned her attention back to Natsu. "Did you see what he did to Gajeel? And I don't even see Erza. You might not be able to win this fight."

To her surprise, Natsu nodded. "Maybe. That's why I think you need to get out of here if you get the chance."

Lucy shook her head. "No way. You're going to need all the help you can get. We're partners, remember?"

"Yeah, I remember. But this time, you're the target. And we don't know what he's going to do—"

Their conversation was interrupted as the floorboards in front of Lucy's face exploded, revealing a pale fist. The hand grabbed one of the boards and pulled down, widening the hole.

"Shit." Lucy scrambled backwards.

A swirl of black shot up from beneath the floor and suddenly Mr. Black was in front of her. He glanced between her and Gemini who had finally managed to right herself and pull her skirt down.

"Well, that could have been inconvenient," the masked man muttered as he casually wiped the dust off his shoulder. He picked up her desk chair and shattered it against the floor, creating a makeshift club. "Using Gemini as a decoy was an excellent plan. You almost had me fooled there."

Lucy grabbed a stray shoe and threw it at him. He ducked and kept walking towards her.

"Now, I just need to figure out which of you is the real Lucy Heartfilla. Did you know there's an easy test for that?" He was now so close he could look down at her. "I just have to see if you bleed."

He brought his arm back and Lucy closed her eyes, preparing for the blow.

Crack! The sound of wood hitting bone and flesh carried through the apartment.

Lucy opened her eyes and saw Natsu standing in front of her. The chair leg was in one hand and he was in Dragon Force mode. Scales had formed on his skin and his canines had lengthened. This form was usually one of Natsu's last resorts. The fact that he felt he already had to use it scared the hell out of her.

Natsu gripped the chair leg hard enough that it splintered. "Get out of here Lucy."

"What about you?"

He stared at his opponent. "Don't worry about me, I'm getting fired up."

Lucy paused and then started for the door. Natsu was right, she was the target. If she could escape, their assailant may abandon the fight.

Mr. Black flicked his wrist. "Termino." The bedroom door slammed shut.

Lucy grabbed another key. "Open Celestial Gate of the Ram!" A blushing woman with pink hair and horns appeared.

"Aires, create a soft landing for me outside!" shouted Lucy.

The Celestial Spirit waved her arms and a blanket of white fluff filled half the room and spilled onto the street below. Lucy tried to run towards it but Mr. Black stepped in front of her.

Natsu pulled Lucy back. "Gemini, block him!" he shouted.

Without hesitation, Gemini ran and launched herself at Mr. Black. "Lucy kick!" she screamed.

Lucy didn't have time to see the outcome of Gemini's attack because she was suddenly hoisted in the air and flying. There was a brief glimpse of blue sky followed by clouds of white. The clouds got bigger and bigger, until they were all she could see.

It took Lucy a moment to realize that Natsu had just thrown her out of her apartment and she was falling down three stories. She had just enough time to put her arms in front of her before she hit the soft pile of fluff.

Muffled sounds of Natsu and Mr. Black fighting made it through the thick wool walls but she could see absolutely nothing. "Aires, I landed. Please unsummon your fluff!"

Lucy waited but nothing happened. She could tell that the spirit was still in the physical world but for some reason, she wasn't removing her wool.

There were more loud bangs and shouts.

Damnit, I don't want to die in a giant fluff ball while all my friends are fighting.

Lucy began to inch her hand towards her belt. It felt like it took forever but eventually her fingers traced the ridges of her cherished keys. She could distinguish each one by touch and easily found the one she was looking for.

"Open Celestial Gate of the Maiden!"

The spirit's pull on her power let her know that she had successfully opened the gate. "Virgo, can you dig me out of here?"

"Yes Mistress," came the muffled response.

The pile of fluff began to shake and a few moments later Lucy was being pulled from her cocoon. She looked back up at her apartment in time to see flames shooting out of her bedroom.

"This is surreal," she whispered. She was about to start running down the street when she noticed an arm sticking out of a pile of bricks. The leather wristband told her it was Gajeel. She ran over and gripped his hand, relieved when she felt him squeeze back.

"Hold on, we'll get you out of this," Lucy shouted. She looked at Virgo and the spirit immediately began digging through the pile of bricks.

Lucy never would have predicted the brutal beatings her friends had just taken. Her Guild was made up of some of the strongest mages in all of Fiore. How had a creepy guy in a theater mask been able to wipe the floor with them?

Dust swirled around her apartment building. Suddenly a dark figure emerged.

"You've got to be kidding me," she breathed.

Mr. Black was standing at the edge of the third floor, looking down. His head jerked when he saw her.

Lucy turned and started running. There was a loud crash and she glanced back. Mr. Black had jumped down to the ground and was standing up. A small crater had formed where he landed.

Damn, Damn, Damn.

Without breaking her stride, Lucy closed the gates of the Twins, the Sheep and the Maiden. She could only maintain three spirits in the Physical Realm at once and she was going to need all the magic she could muster.

"Open—the gate of—the Lion," Lucy panted.

Loke appeared about a dozen feet in front of her. If there was going to be a fight, Lucy wanted her strongest spirit by her side.

When he saw her, Loke's face lit up with a handsome grin. "Hey Luc—" he started.

Lucy ran right past him, not bothering to slow down. "Stop that man!" she shouted.

Lucy could imagine the confused look on Loke's face but he must have regained his bearings quickly because she heard him summoning his attack.

"Regulas!"

Lucy usually stood with her spirits during a fight but this wasn't a typical fight—

it was an escape mission. She kept running.

Her lungs were starting to burn and she knew she couldn't keep up the pace for long. She needed a plan.

Somewhere in the distance, a whistle blew.

The train!

The train station was just another two blocks from were she was and the whistle was usually blown when a train was departing. If she could just make it to the train station, there was a chance she might get away.

She glanced over her shoulder. Loke was on the ground and Mr. Black was back in pursuit. Her strongest spirit had only managed to delay her assailant a minute or two. Even worse, he was gaining on her with a supernatural speed.

"Open, Celestial— Gate of— the Goat!"

Again, a spirit appeared in front of her. This time it was Capricorn, a strong spirit who was excellent in hand-to-hand combat.

"Stop the man chasing me!" shouted Lucy.

She zoomed past Capricorn. Her legs were burning and she was beginning to feel dizzy. She turned. There was just another block to go. In the distance, she could see smoke. It had a diagonal shape, telling her that the train was already on the move. She might be too late.

Her body felt like it was going to break. In frustration, she screamed, but she didn't stop running. People walking on the street stopped and stared at her. She must have looked like a mad-woman.

"Move it," she screamed again. She dared another glance back. Capricorn was still engaged with Mr. Black. Perhaps he would buy her enough time…

Lucy ran through the train station. The caboose was just leaving the terminal and was already moving at a good clip.

"Hey, lady! You can't get on that train!" Someone was shouting at her but she didn't care. All she could focus on was the train.

She had closed the gap between herself and the train. She was running along it, looking for a way to hoist herself up. She stumbled and fell back a few paces.

"I will not give up!" she screamed.

She reached deep inside herself and pushed her "Lucy dig deep" button. This was the button she pushed in dire emergencies when all her strength was gone and she needed just a little more.

With a final burst of speed, Lucy leapt and grabbed the railing on the back of the caboose. She caught it and didn't let go. With the strength of a hundred steel ab workout sessions, she swung her body around and landed on the floor of the train.

Lucy lay on the floor, catching her breath. Her vision dimmed briefly and she thought she might pass out but the sensation passed. She turned her cheek, enjoying the feel of the cool wood and then paused.

It can't be.

In the distance, she could make out a man in black running after the train. The pace of the train had picked up quickly and Lucy estimated their speed to be about 50 mph. No human could run that fast.

She sat up and stared.

The man was getting closer.

"No!" she shouted. "No, No, No! Can't I get a break? This can't be happening!" Lucy slammed her hand against the floor. She was too tired to even stand. With a shaky hand, she grabbed another key.

"Open, Celestial Gate of the Archer."

Sagittarius appeared, and he looked worried. "Lucy, what's going on? Spirits keep disappearing and reappearing in our realm."

"I'm up against a really strong enemy, look!" She pointed down the railroad at the man who was approaching quickly. "Please stop him!"

Sagittarius drew his bow and released an arrow. The distance was too great for Lucy to see the result.

"Did you hit him?"

"Yes."

"Then why is he still coming at us?" Lucy didn't like the sound of her voice. She was practically crying.

The spirit's Adam's apple bobbed. He pulled back his bow and released another arrow… and then another…and then another. He was firing in rapid succession but Mr. Black was not slowing down.

Lucy watched in horror. There was nothing else she could do.

This man is the devil.

Mr. Black had almost reached them now. Lucy could see the arrows sticking out of his chest. He reached up and grabbed the railings.

"Get the hell away from me!" she screamed. Lucy kicked at his hands with her feet. Sagittarius pulled back his bow again but Mr. Black grabbed the front of his vest and tossed him off the train.

Instead of simply hopping up onto the train, he remained behind it. There were loud snaps as broken railroad ties popped up behind them. Mr. Black was digging his feet into the ground.

He was trying to stop the train.

"What is wrong with you?" Lucy screamed.

The railing that Mr. Black was holding onto broke and he tumbled forward. He fell face-first into the ground.

"Ha, ha!" Lucy pumped her fist in the air. She saw Mr. Black lift his head and she flipped him the bird.

He got up and started running again.

Lucy groaned. "Why did I do that? He's going to be pissed."

Mr. Black caught up to the caboose quickly and ran along its side. He kept pace with the train for a few seconds and then made a sharp cut for the car. His shoulder rammed the siding and Lucy felt the caboose lift off the tracks and tip. There was a brief moment when she thought the caboose would keep going and flip-over but it came crashing back to the tracks instead.

She held onto the railing but the force of the impact jerked her body and she heard a pop as her shoulder became dislocated. The next instant her face slammed into the flooring and she saw stars.

The caboose was still moving forward but it was decelerating. It had become detached and was gliding along the tracks. Her escape plan had failed. Mr. Black would have no problem catching up to a coasting target.

Well, I guess I'm about to find out what this madman wants.

**Bigdream3r: Thank you for the reviews! Please keep them coming.