Hello everyone!
I know I'm a few days late, but I live in a very remote part of Canada and we have had some weather issues. Long story short, I was without water for almost a week and it required some extensive fixing before I could regain it lol So I haven't been ignoring you guys! Just busy with life haha
As always, I do not own Fairy Tail, it belongs to Hiro Mashima and I thank him for its use in my own creative expressions *bows*
While Erza was down at City hall, Gray continued working on Zoldeo's murder case. First stop was the morgue; it was in the basement of the police station and one of Gray's least favorite places to visit, especially by himself.
"Here are his clothes," the medical examiner's assistant handed him a paper bag with an evidence sticker holding the flap closed. She led him to the room where they kept all the corpses they were still working on, looking on a chart by the door she got Zoldeo's ID number and selected the corresponding drawer on the wall.
She pulled it open and then moved the sheet back. "This is the right one?" He nodded instead of trusting his voice to speak. "Good, I'll go get the coroner and he should be right in."
"Thanks," Gray replied as she slipped out. He had to suppress a shiver as he looked around at the cold and sterile room, he didn't know what death was supposed to smell like but he could imagine that this place smelled pretty close. After what felt like forever but was probably only about 5 minutes the door opened again and the coroner came striding in.
"Hello Detective Fullbuster, interested in our most recent client?" The man greeted him, too cheerfully for Gray's liking.
"Yes sir," he answered, trying not to let his unease creep into his voice. "What can you tell me about Zoldeo?"
"Well, I can tell you that it was definitely the gunshot to the chest that killed him," the coroner walked over to the body and pointed to the gaping hole in the chest. "It hit the pulmonary artery and he bled out fairly quickly. Other than some minor superficial cuts and bruises in various stages of healing he is completely healthy for a criminal."
"So there was nothing significant on the body other than the cause of death?" Gray was a little disappointed; he was hoping that there would be something.
"Nothing that I could find, I took all the usual samples and sent them to the lab, they might have more information to give you." The coroner replaced the sheet and pushed the drawer back into the wall.
"Thank you," Gray replied and turned to walk out of the room before he could respond. The next stop was the lab which was in another part of the building. He dropped the clothes off with one of the busy lab techs and checked in on the samples that had come up from the morgue earlier, the results weren't back yet so he ordered them to call his desk as soon they were.
He went back to his desk and looked over the research he had done on the victim earlier; his known address, any phone numbers or associates. The address on file was from when he was arrested a few months ago, the case ended up getting dismissed due to lack of evidence. It was in Oak, a lower income neighbourhood in west Fiore and he had no next of kin or any family listed so there was no one to notify of this death. He was a well-known member of the Grimoire Heart organization, only a lower level runner but he had ties to their Lieutenants. The information that the Magnolia precinct had access to was limited, if Gray wanted to dig deeper into Zoldeo's life then he would have to go to the experts on Fiore's organized crime.
He was so absorbed in reading the file that he didn't notice at first when Erza returned, his eyebrows were furrowed in concentration and he was muttering to himself.
She snuck up behind him and leaned down to whisper into his ear. "Too many big words?"
Gray jumped a little in his seat and then glared at her over his shoulder. "What?!"
Erza just shook her head and removed her coat, throwing it over the back of her chair. "Let's go get a coffee, I have to tell you something."
"Yeah, I have the coroner's report on Zoldeo, but the labwork isn't finish yet." Gray stood up but before they could walk away from their desks another officer stopped them.
"The Captain needs you in his office right away."
"Did he say why?" Erza asked a little sharply.
The officer cringed a little. "No Ma'am, but he isn't alone." And then he walked away quickly.
Gray looked a little confused when he saw Erza's face harden. "Is there something I should know?"
"I'll tell you on the way," she sighed.
While she was between clients Lucy checked her phone for about the billionth time but there was still nothing from Levy. She looked over at the door and had to resist the urge to grab her purse and make a run for it. She sighed and slipped her phone back into her bag, careful not to wake up her dog who was sleeping in a tight ball. Levy will call when she calls, she told herself, she is probably just taking a long time at the police station or she's on her way here right now to tell me in person.
"I should have never left her alone," Lucy groaned, balling her fists in frustration. She was just about to turn back to her station to prepare for the next client when she heard her phone start to tinkle.
"Finally!" She dug into her purse and pulled it out eagerly, waking up Plue who glared at her with his beady dark eyes. Lucy looked at the display and saw she had a text, which was not what she wanted and she was even more disappointed when it turned out it was from her across-the-hall neighbor. Jet was not one of her favorite people, but he was nice and very friendly. Levy was oblivious, or just unable to admit, that she had two very adamant admirers that only sometimes bordered on obsessive and creepy, but they knew that they were harmless and Levy tried hard not to give either of them the wrong idea or use them to her advantage. The hard truth was that both of them where so smitten with the small bluenette that they would walk over hot coals and fight a fire breathing dragon, or at least try to, in order to win her affection. Lucy sighed again and decided to read the text anyway, she still had some time to kill.
WHO IS THE BLACK HAIRED GUY –J
Confused, Lucy sent a quick response.
WHAT?! –L3
He must have been waiting by the phone because he replied almost immediately.
A BLACK HAIRED GUY WAS JUST WITH LEVY IN THE HALLWAY, THEY HAD BAGS AND WERE IN A HURRY TO LEAVE… DOES SHE HAVE A BOYFRIEND OR SOMETHING? –J
Lucy could imagine the level of freaking out that Jet was going right now, probably Droy too, but it was nothing compared to the thoughts going through her mind. Was it a cop with Levy? Or is it the killer? A little voice in the back of her head nagged at her. Why would the killer take her with a bag? What if she was going into witness protection and she was never going to see her again? That thought jolted Lucy back to reality from her overactive imagination; she had to find Levy right now. Without answering the text she tossed her phone into her bag, getting another glare from her dog which she ignored. She went over to the coat rack in the corner and grabbed her sweater, trying to think of the best excuse to tell her boss for why she had to leave in a rush. She was just tugging it over her head when she heard the front door chime merrily and she turned to it, hoping and praying that it was her roommate coming to let her know she was ok. Instead it was an average looking guy with spiked out pink hair, dressed in a tight leather jacket and baggy jeans with steel toed boots. Not the usual client they had coming into a salon where a basic cut and style alone was almost two hundred dollars.
"Hi!" He greeted the receptionist with a wide smile. "I'm looking for… Lina Honeycomb?"
The receptionist looked at him oddly. "I'm sorry, but we don't have anyone here by that name…"
"Ah," the guy scratched the back of his head as if in thought. "Lanie Helicopter?"
She shook her head.
"Lulu Harmonica?"
"Are you trying to say Lucy Heartifillia?" The receptionist asked curiously.
"Yeah! That's that name. Where can I find her?" The receptionist turned and pointed towards Lucy's station and then frowned when she saw Lucy wasn't there. She looked across the room and spotted her still standing by the coat rack; Lucy had been momentarily distracted by their conversation and hadn't moved. He had turned to follow the receptionist's gaze and Lucy froze when he was finally staring directly at her. He looks like a biker… Something in her brain seemed to click. He looks like the guy that Levy saw in the alley last night…
Lucy's heart constricted in her chest and she wanted to scream but she couldn't breathe in enough air, all that came out was an awful sounding squeak. She watched him thank the receptionist and start walking over to her with long strides but she was still frozen in place.
"Lucy?" He was standing in front of her now looking down into her face earnestly but she still couldn't move. "Are you Levy's roommate?" He asked when she hadn't replied.
Lucy's heart was beating so fast she thought it was going to burst out of her chest. It is the guy! Her panic stricken mind screamed at her. Do something! She quickly bobbed her head forward, never taking her eyes off his face.
He peered at her strangely, just starting to realize that something was wrong. "Are you ok?"
Lucy wasn't expecting that question. "Erm…" Was all she could get out before she heard someone else boom across the room. "Where are you?!"
She turned towards the noise, a different kind of panic filling her body. "Lucy!" A man with a dark skin tone and bright red and black hair was stalking towards them angrily. "The next client is supposed to be here in five minutes and the station is still a mess!" His deep voice was coolly annoyed.
Lucy swallowed. "I'm sor-" She started but she was immediately interrupted.
"Sorry man, but Lucy has to come with me," the strange guy answered nonchalantly.
Lucy involuntarily gasped, she was surprised by what he said and also that he was speaking to her crazy boss that way.
Cancer regarded the pink haired man as if he hadn't noticed he was standing there before. "And who are you?"
"I'm Natsu," he gave him a wide smile. "Gotta go!" He seized Lucy by the arm and started pulling her to the front door.
"Wait! My bag," she shook out of his grasp and went to get her dog.
"Lucy cannot leave," Cancer continued as if nothing had happened. "We still have clients today, I need her."
"Well I'm sorry man, but she has to come with me." There was an edge to his tone now that gave Lucy a bad feeling. At the same time she thought that maybe now was a good time to try and sneak out while they were both distracted, holding her bag to her ample chest she started creeping towards the door slowly.
"That is not acceptable," Cancer repeated. "I need her here, I cannot work without her." Natsu just gave him an apologetic shrug of his shoulders before turning towards the door.
"Don't turn your back on me you bedraggled mutt! Don't you know who I am?!" Cancer roared. Quick as a flash he had his signature golden scissors out of his tool belt and snipped a section off of Natsu's spiked hair.
"Did you just cut me?!" He started feeling the back of his head to search for the bald spot.
"I will not be disrespected in my own salon!" Cancer's arm shot out and he clipped another chunk off in the front this time.
"Hey asshole!" Natsu bellowed back. "Quit cutting my hair or you're going to be sorry."
"No! You will be sorry, you vagabond!" Cancer made another lunge with the scissors but Natsu attempted to grab them before they could get to his hair, instead the open scissors stabbed him in the palm of the hand.
"Son of a- dammit!" Natsu swore as he pulled the impaled scissors out of his hand. "I'm going to catch you, you crazy bastard! I'm going to cut those stupid things right off your head!"
Cancer had already started running towards the back of the salon, when he saw Natsu chasing him he grabbed a rolling chest of drawers and threw it to the ground to block the way. Combs, brushes, curlers and clips went skittering across the floor but Natsu ignored them and the chest, he jumped over it without missing a stride and continued pursuit. Cancer had made it to his station and looked up to see the crazed man was almost on him, he then took the detachable shower head out of the shampoo sink and held it on Natsu like a gun.
"Stop! Don't come near me or I'll shoot!"
Natsu stopped short, still bleeding profusely from the hand. "You stabbed me! Put that down and we can settle this like real men!"
"Never!" Was the answer and he pushed down on the handle. Water shot out of the end and blasted Natsu in the face.
"I'm going to kill you!" Natsu sputtered, Cancer dropped the hose and they ran around the room again.
Lucy stood by the reception desk watching the scene with wide eyes, and she was not the only one, people were running for cover or trying to make it to the back room as the two men continued their chase.
"That's it, I'm calling the police," Lucy heard the receptionist mumble as she picked up the phone and started dialing. Time to go, Lucy thought but before she could make it out the door she heard a giant crash and bang. She looked up and saw that Natsu had slipped on either the water or the hair curlers and lost his footing, crashing into one of the hair stations, shattering the mirror and sending even more hair supplies flying everywhere.
"You are demolishing my salon!" Shrieked Cancer. "I will have you arrested!"
Natsu got to his feet, still wet, with blood leaking down his arm and a gash on his cheek from the broken mirror.
He looked around as if seeing the damage for the first time and grimaced before turning to the door. "Laxus is going to kill me," he muttered as he rushed towards the exit, grabbing Lucy's hand on the way and pulling her with him.
"Wait!" Lucy and the receptionist shouted at the same time but Natsu ignored them both. Lucy didn't even have time to think as he pulled her across the street, nearly getting hit by a car in the process, and stopped in front of a motorcycle.
"You do have a motorcycle!" Lucy's fears came slamming back.
"Yeah, but I only have one helmet so you can have it," Natsu took a black helmet off the seat and handed it to her.
She hesitated. "Where is Levy?"
"My partner is with her," Natsu mounted his motorcycle and motioned for her to get on behind him. "Come on; I'll take you to her." Lucy frowned and then put the helmet on, it sat awkwardly because of her side ponytail but she could still do it up.
She was just about to climb up beside him when she felt her purse wiggle. "Plue!" The dog's head popped out of the top and he started barking at them furiously. "I can't ride on this thing with my dog."
Sirens started to wail in the distance, the police were on their way, Natsu knew they had to hurry. "Give him to me."
Lucy pulled the dog out of her purse and handed him over with slight reluctance. Natsu unzipped the front of his heavy leather jacket and stuffed Plue inside gently. "He should be safe in there, now get on." Lucy climbed up behind him awkwardly, not knowing where she should put her hands.
"Move up a little closer," he directed. "And hold tight so you don't fall off." Lucy scooted up and threw her arms around his waist, her purse held tightly in one fist. She heard the motorcycle roar as he started the engine and then suddenly they were moving. The sirens were close now and Lucy buried her face into Natsu's leather clad back, but she caught a glimpse of flashing lights first.
"Hold tighter," she heard Natsu yell over the noise. "It's going to get bumpy."
She squeezed her eyes shut and hung on as tight as she could, she could feel the motorcycle serve wildly beneath her and going faster then was probably legal. Even if she had wanted to she couldn't tell where they would be going, but all of a sudden she felt them shift in a wide right turn and she had to bite back a scream. Please let this be over soon she prayed silently and finally they started to loose speed until the motorcycle came to a sudden stop. Lucy peeked out from behind Natsu's shoulder and looked around; she expected them to be in an abandoned lot or in the middle of nowhere. Instead they were on a normal looking street with houses and minivans in the driveways.
"Uh, I think your dog peed on me."
So, I'm sorry those of you that were hoping for some Gajeel and Levy, next chapter will be mostly them I promise! I had a few creative moments with Cancer's character, he isn't that crazy in the Manga but I thought it would be funny if Lucy's first impression of Natsu was seeing him fight with someone. Stay tuned!