Rogue felt uneasy.
He looked over his shoulder for what had to the twentith time, red eyes scanning the soaking quiet town. He wasn't sure why he was so jumpy and now but he supposed it was a natural thing to do, when the person closest to you was nabbed under strange circumstances possibly facing Death right in the face, being left alone in a supposedly wide and spacious area with no one around seemed to be such a taboo now.
There was nothing.
There was nobody.
He scanned the area around him one last time before he sighed and continued on with his trek for shopping. His grip on his umbrella tightening and he sighed with annoyance.
Who would have thought Gajeel had as much of an big apetite as Natsu and Sting did?
Three days.
It's been three days since Happy had been home and he wasn't sure how long it would be until he was allowed to return home. His real home. As much fun as it was staying with Lisanna, he really just missed Natsu and Gray and wanted to go home to them. He didn't understand what was happening at all.
All he knew was after their fun day at the carnival and Lisanna was just about ready to drive Happy home, when she suddenly received a call from Laxus. Happy watched as her face turned from all smiles to uncertainty and fear and then transforming to a look that resembled like she was about ready to break down and cry.
"Happy..." She breathed, snapping her phone shut, clutching it tight to her chest.
"Yeah Lisanna?"
"You're-" She gulped, "You're going to stay with me for a little while longer."
"Huh?" Happy blinked, he was confused now. "Why?"
"Something suddenly came up on Gray's end," she answered, voice low sounding like it was being strained, "He's- He's going to be away a little longer than originally planned."
"Ok. But Natsu's home-"
"Natsu's gone away too, Happy," She whispered, her blue eyes hiding behind her sparkling silver hair. Her entire body trembling as one hand gripped the edge of her bubblegum pink sundress while the other gripped the phone impossibily tighter, "Something- Something bad's happened. He's not gonna be home either."
"Huh? Why?"
Lisanna trembled before facing the young teen, tears flowing from her large, bright blue eyes confusing and scaring the poor boy even further before she suddenly collected him into a tight hug.
"Please understand..." She whispered, her grip around him tightening. "It'll be explained... I promise. Once- Once everything's been cleared up..."
"Okay," He said, wrapping his own arms around her, hugging back. He didn't mean to make Lisanna feel bad, "I'm sorry."
Happy sighed as he walked home to Lisanna's, his feet patting the wet cement below him and peeked around his umbrella to look up to the dreary sky above him, his blue hair blowing gently in the cool breeze, his crisp school shirt fluttering and swinging his book bag back and forth lazily in front of him. His large blue eyes down cast as he stared. Why wasn't he allowed to go home?
Was it something he did?
Or say?
Or was it something Gray said?
Tears began to prickle at the corner of his eyes. He wouldn't put past the raven haired man. Sure, it wasn't new that Gray and Natsu had their fights that often resulted the two men demanding space from one another, but they always made up in the end. Never once did the two men leave the house after their fights, only opting to go on opposite ends of the house to cool down and NEVER once, was Happy put in the middle of it.
So why did Lisanna feel the need to take him away?
And now?
"Oi! Happy!"
He blinked his tears away, turning around and found himself facing two kids walking toward him wearing the the same white shirt and dark slacks that was the school uniform. One was a little older and taller then he was, with messy red hair that was parted to the right side with matching eyes that were hooded and gave him a permanent look of superiority. The other was smaller and younger then the two teens, with light green hair and large matching green eyes with a bright smile and sunny disposition he was far more approachable then the other whose hand he was currently holding. If the bright pink and black spotted frog hoodie he always wore didn't attract them to him already.
"Oh. Lector." Happy smiled though it didn't quite match the mood he was feeling. "And Frosch. Hi guys."
"Is something wrong?" The younger one, Frosch asked, swinging the hand that held the other's. "You don't sound-" He giggled. "Happy."
"No..." Happy chuckled at the pun as he turned fully to face his new company. "I guess not."
"Hey Happy."
"Yeah, Lector?"
"You wouldn't happen to have seen Sting or Rogue around have you?" The redhead, Lector asked, his grip on Frosch's hand tightening and trembling.
"No." Happy shook his head. "Why? Have they gone away too?"
"Too?" Lector blinked, tyring to understand the meaning behind Happy's words. "What do you mean by 'too'?"
"Gray and Natsu have gone away," Happy explained, voice quiet almost dead as his shoulders slumped. "I have been staying at Lisanna's house for the last three days. She says they have gone away somewhere. Something went bad or... Something."
"Sting and Rogue haven't been home the last three days either." Lector nodded. "I've tried calling both of them and all they tell me when they pick up is 'Something's come up. Be paitent and we'll explain everything when we get home.' They say the exact same thing when I try texting them."
Lector look to the grey sky, deep in thought before returning to face Happy.
"I think something bad happened to Gray."
"What?"
"Fro thinks so too." Frosch agreed, raising the one hand to his forehead as a mock salute.
"Think about it for one minute," Lector elaborated, holding his one free hand up in defense. "You said something about Gray going on a mission for the Fairy Tail about- what, five days ago when you were talking to Wendy and Carla, right?"
"Right..." Happy nodded.
"You also mentioned that Natsu was left behind at home because on his last mission, he mildly sprained his ankle during a heated chase and that scary Erza lady forbade him to take another job til the doctors confirmed he was well, right?"
"Right-" He really wasn't liking what Lector was implying.
"Didn't you mention on Sunday during our play date that Gray supposed to return home from his mission? Like as in- three days ago?"
Happy's eyes went wide. "You- You don't think- But if that's- That... Then why did Natsu go away too?"
"I bet you that Natsu didn't take to whatever happened to Gray real well," Lector hummed. "And probably wanted to be alone and think and asked Ms. Lisanna to look after you until he felt strong again." Lector then smirked and held his head up with pride. "And Sting, being the awesome and generous older brother he totally is, went after Natsu to comfort him. That must be it!"
"Really now-" Happy mental sweat dropped at this. 'Weirdo...'
"Fro thinks so too."
"Maybe we should go to Fairy Tail," Lector declared.
"What? Why?" Happy was confused, "What's at Fairy Tail?"
"Answers," Lector responded, turning on his heel, snatching Happy by the hand and pulling Frosch with him, "We're gonna get answers! I don't care what they say! We have a right to know!"
"Aah! O-Ok..."
Sting and Gray broke into a fierce run back to the guild just as the rain regained its power and started down pouring once more, soaking both men. Sting was grinning madly as he pulled on Gray's arm and practically dragging him. While Gray shared the same feelings the blonde had, he really wished he wouldn't try to rip his arm out.
Both men skidded through the water logged streets before finding themselves at the guild doors before kicking them open and running inside, trailing water and mud behind them. They didn't get very far before they skidded right into poor Mira who was trying to ease her mind with a little housecleaning, making quite a mess in the process. Tables and chairs being knocked and or thrown from the impact of their bodies colliding with them.
"Oh goodness!"
"Sorry Mira!"
"It's okay." The silver haired woman dusted herself off. "What's the hurry?"
"We got a lead!" Sting answered, popping up from behind a large table, nearly startling the poor girl. "Laxus says we finally have a lead!"
"Oh that's wonderful!" Mira grinned, clapping her hands together. "What's the lead?"
"One of the guys got himself caught on camera." Gray answered, picking himself up. "Thanks to Natsu."
"Really?" Hope shimmered in those large blue eyes. "You're going to get them?"
"Damn right!" Gray replied. "Where's Lyon and Laxus?"
"They are one the second floor. Mr. Makarov said you guys could go up there and establish a bit of a workplace so has no wandering eyes questioned or stressed you than absolutely necessary," Mira smiled, "Oh! That reminds me- The two of you have some guests!"
Gray paused, "Guests?"
"Gray?" Floated a familiar voice. "Gray? Where are you?"
Gray blinked as he and Sting looked around the white-haired woman.
No. It couldn't be-
"Gray!"
"Happy?"
From behind Mirajane stepped out three familiar middle school boys. Sting and Gray both blanched and took a step back, both sets of eyes wide as Lector, Frosch and Happy launched themselves into both Sting's and Gray's arms respectively and started bombarding the two men with questions with such rapid fire, it was amazing that no one's head exploded. Frosch and Lector practically caused Sting to topple over from their combined weight while Happy showered Gray with tears.
"What are you doing here?"
"Where's Rogue?"
"Weren't you killed?"
"Why won't you come home?"
"Why are you wearing Natsu's favorite scarf?"
"Where have you been the last three days?"
"Where's Natsu?"
"Is everything okay?"
"Whoa whoa WHOA!" Sting roared over the din, bringing silence and order as he held his hands up. "One question at a time."
All three teens blinked.
"What are you three doing here?" Gray asked, prying Happy off of him. "And how did you even know we were going to be here?"
"We want some answers!" Lector explained, quickly turning to face Sting. "I'm tired of being left in the dark! I wanna know what's going on!"
"What's... Going on?" Sting asked, face falling slightly.
"Yeah." Happy chimed in, clapping his hands and started patting Gray's chest, "I wanna know why I can't go home! I wanna go home!"
"I'm sorry Happy but you can't-" Gray mumbled, trying to look anywhere but the apprehensive pre-teen's face, "Not yet-"
"What- Why?" Lector asked, "Rogue said we can't go home either! Why, Sting why?"
"It's hard to explain, buddy-"
"Fro thinks so too!"
"Gray. Gray, what's going on?" Happy asked.
Gray turned to look to the teary eyed bluenette.
"Where's Natsu?" Happy asked, tugging at the scarf around his neck. "What happened? Why are you wearing his treasured scarf? I-I- I don't understand-"
Gray sighed, looking away from the aprensive teens before look he took a deep breath and finally mustarded the courage to faced them.
"A... A bad man has taken Natsu, Happy," he explained as all three pre-teens gasped, "A really bad man broke into our home and took Natsu. He's forcing me to play a game and if I win, he promised to return Natsu to us safe and sound and from the from the sounds of it, he also indicated he'd turn himself in. But if I lose..." Gray bit his lip.
No.
He didn't want to tell them that part, he didn't even want to think about it.
"What happens if you lose?" Happy asked, trembling in Gray's hands. "What happens then? Gray?"
Gray bit his lip until he drew blood.
"If he loses... This man threatened to kill Natsu." Sting finished.
'Thanks Sting.' Gray grimaced.
"You mean- You mean, that's why we have to stay with Lisanna and Yukino?" Lector asked with disbelief, tears welling up in his eyes. "Because this guys wants to play a game with Natsu's life?! He's a monster!"
"Fro thinks so too."
"Afraid so," Sting replied pulled the trembling pre-teen into a tight hug, rubbing the redhead's back in soothing circles. "We had no way of knowing how much this bas- This man- knew other then our names and job occupations. So to keep you safe, we had to leave with the girls."
"I'm sorry." Lector whispered, burying his face in the crook of Sting's neck. "I'm so sorry. I'm a jerk."
"Hey hey, it's okay, Lector." Gray smiled, patting the boy on the back. Lector sniffled and looked up at him. "I'm not mad you, Sting's not mad at you. As far as we are concerned, you were just worried about us and you wanna just understand what's going on. There's nothing wrong with that."
"Really?"
"Really," Gray answered before looking to the top of the second floor as he gripped Natsu's scarf tightly in his hand. "Now let's get you three home. Sting and I need to talk to Laxus."
"O-Okay..."
Laziness is a constant companion.