Chapter 54: Patience is Power

A/N: Hello again! Quick A/N here today, just giving a shout out to brucie86 and sashaXmafuyuFOREVER for the reviews! Now on with the story, ENJOY!

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Start of Battles (Mern POV)

I land on the roof and see where exactly Cobra is and see he is in the middle of all the rooms, the room also being the most average of them all. 'Not very big, nor very small. Perfect to test out my power up, time to see just how fast I am. Let's get this over with.' I look and find the appropriate hole and jump down, free falling towards where Cobra is waiting and land right next to him, startling him. "Why hello there." I threw a punch so fast I barely even realized it connected, but it did and he went flying into a wall. I looked at my fist and then at Cobra, then back to my fist and back to Cobra and did this at least three more times before I smirked as he got himself out of the wall.

"What the fuck… Huh? Who are you?" He said as he saw me and couldn't recognize me, "What's your name, I can hear your thoughts so don't lie to me."

I laughed at him evilly, or I thought it sounded pretty maniacal compared to how I usually sounded, and said, "Telling an opponent your name is reserved for opponents of similar strength, something we are not, Cobra."

He clenched his jaw and charged at me, yelling, "Poison Dragon's Sharp Horn!" His fists became shrouded in poison and he threw several punches at me, at a speed that before now I would have had to work hard to dodge or try and block them. But not anymore, now I saw every movement he made and they all seemed very slow, and I merely avoided every punch until he got careless and I got a counter in. I nailed him in the gut and moved in to land another blow, but was stopped by a tail constricting me. 'Wait, a tail?!'

I turned around and saw that there was indeed a purple tail stopping me, and Cobra saw it too, yelling out to the owner of said tail, "Kinnana! Get out of here! This is too dangerous for you to be here! Kinnana!" I looked over my shoulder and saw only a snake there instead, no person or, in his case, wife to be seen. "Damn it Kinnana! Transform back into a human and get out of here! And don't you ignore me! I know you can hear me!"

I sighed at this annoyance and just grabbed the tail roughly and it's grip loosened from the pain. I said annoyed, "Thorn Sword!" and my usual weapon, my sword of thorns appeared. I looked back at Cobra and smirked deviously, he then realized my plan and yelled out, "NO! WAIT!" but it was too late. I turned to the tail in my hand and swung my sword downwards, and I cut the tail that held me clean off.

I turned to Cobra and asked sadistically, "Hey since I cut that off while she was a snake, what is her human body part equivalent? Hahahaha!" Cobra was shaking now, and he got up and ran past me to where his wife was. She had turned back into a human and I saw that everything was there, except she had a massive gash on her stomach that looked pretty bad. "Aww, that's it? I had hoped for some limbs at least, but I guess that'll leave a nice scar. So where do you want yours?"

Cobra turned towards me and I smiled at him before he let out a howl and charged at me. He looked different now, like he was totally cloaked in poison, like he WAS the poison almost. He yelled, "Poison Dragon's Scales!", and things that looked like sickles of poison came flying at me. I dodged each one and kept my eye on him as he kept coming at me. I ducked, jumped, bobbed, and weaved my way out of the path of his attack and soon enough he was within striking distance as he yelled, "Poison Dragon's Fang Thrust!" A fang of poison appeared and came at me, but I didn't even move and just cut the thing in half with my sword.

I looked at him and sighed internally, bored by the lack of ability in a mage especially a dragon slayer like he was. 'So pathetic. Honestly. Why did I agree to fight him? I should have lobbied for Gajeel and Gildarts, now that would have been fun. This… this is just boring and sad to watch. Well, time to show him how futile his little assault is.' I gripped my sword tighter and then moved, flying by him and slashing as I did, cutting right above the knee area. I moved so fast that for a minute nothing happened, then like a cheesy samurai movie I brought my sword to rest and a spurt of blood came from his thigh. He went to a knee and I moved back on him, there before he even had time to look at the cut. I grabbed him from behind and delivered a flurry of rights to his kidney, and he howled in pain from the blows. I then threw him up in the air and slashed upwards, giving a cut that matched his wife's and I then jumped up. Mid-air I started to do a flip and when I was upside down I kicked him, sending him flying into the ground next to his wife.

I landed and looked at him, he was in bad shape completely beaten and bleeding next to his already unconscious wife. I walked over to where he was and sighed at him, saying, "I had hoped for more from you, but luckily enough you didn't even make me break a sweat. You see I have a very important mission I must complete and I don't want to waste my energy on fodder like you. Goodnight, my little snake." I punched him in the face once, and his head banged into the ground and a moment later he was out cold with a broken nose.

I stood up and sighed, walking away from him and getting ready to leave the room, 'Man that was easy. Every thing is going according to my master plan. I got out from working from Zeref, which was the easiest part. But then, I convinced the council to use me as a spy for their next big mission even before I agreed to work with them and be a council mage. I remember that day like it was yesterday.'

FLASHBACK- One Year and Two Months Ago

I sit in the waiting room of the council with another guy who I barely know. 'I think his name is Karr or something but I don't really care, I just need this meeting to go well. If this goes well then I can use the information I found on that tablet really soon, sooner than I thought. Stealing the thing that makes Lawhn so strong? Yes. That is what I need! POWER. Yes I maybe a bit crazy, but I like power. I crave power and Zeref was not giving me any of it. Nor did my brothers help, they made me look bad all my life and got me stuck with the worst job possible: agent handler. Ugh, I hate those people, they are extremely creepy and a bunch of losers. But now, now I can finally have my revenge. Natsu and the Sabertooth twins took care of Mard and cost me the chance to take his power, but Lawhn is mine! MINE!'

"Hey, they're ready for you. Wake up!" A guard said, breaking me out of my reverie as he moved towards me. I got up quickly and mumbled an apology as he led me into the room where the council was and he released me from the shackles they had me in. I rubbed my wrists and looked at the council and at the other guy, the bounty hunter who found me and brought me in alive. I had let him take me on the condition that he secures a meeting with the council for me, which he did.

I looked at the council members and clear my throat, letting them know if they wish to say anything they could. "Mr. Greer, why are you here?" asked one woman councilor and I looked at her.

"Mad' am councilor I am glad you asked." I started and saw the council's faces grow annoyed with me already, so I said "I am here to ask you for your help in killing two birds with one stone. I need help executing my plan, you see while I worked for Zeref, I never really loved or even liked him like everyone else did. No you see I actually despised him, still do actually. As such, and the fact that he made my life hell ever since I was born, I want him dead. As I know you do as well. But you also have another person you want brought to justice, one Natsu Dragneel if I am correct?" They all were looking at me like I was a falling star or something, like I had just said something so astounding that I was inhuman.

"So here is what I propose, we help each other out by helping Natsu out. I know the inner workings of Zeref's organization and know where he hides out. So allow Natsu to find me and convince me to work with him so we could allow him to find and kill Zeref for us. Now I am sure your wondering how does that help us defeat Natsu? Well you see my brothers and I share a unique link with each other, if we kill one brother we gain his abilities and strengths. I do believe that with this power boost I can kill him, and I know for a fact that my only remaining brother, Lawhn, is Zeref's personal bodyguard. I would kill him in the chaos that would ensue when Natsu and his posse find Zeref and take his power. Then in one year, when he truly believes me to be part of his posse, I would swoop in, during the rematch and kill everyone one by one, using the fact that they are fatigued to finish them easily. Now I know that the council does not simply allow strangers to do their work so I propose you assign me a handler, maybe the bounty hunter here who captured me. So, are we in agreement or not?" I asked and they all looked at each other, then at the chairman who stood up.

He walked over to me and stuck out his hand and said, "We do. The only thing we ask is that you start tomorrow." I nodded, surprised they went for it so easily but knew they were desperate, after all Natsu Dragneel had just embarrassed the most powerful guild in Fiore. They needed him to go down so they can keep a strong front. And I knew my patience was going to pay off, because as the old adage goes, 'Patience is Power.'

END FLASHBACK

I smile as I remember that moment and make my way to where Karr is as he is struggling. I sigh and with my sword I stab Richard in the gut, saving Karr and defeating Richard in one strike.

"You talk too much." I say, scoffing at him.

"Yeah, but I needed to make sure he didn't see you coming, since I only saw you when I was flying around earlier. Anyways, how did you get here so quickly? Didn't you fight a dragon slayer?" He asked me and I scoffed.

"That might have been a challenge before I killed Lawhn, now it was way too easy. I'm telling you, I could take Esoj right now if I wanted to." I said and I laughed with him.

"Don't underestimate him too much, he still hasn't shown us his full power just yet. Now come on, we still have a job to do. Oh, and you didn't kill him right?" He asked and I nodded.

"Nah, just did enough to knock him out cold, missed all of his vital organs. He should make out just fine." I nodded and we both left the room, leaving a very badly beaten ex-dark mage and a now current disciple of love to bleed out into unconsciousness. 'He's right remember, I must have patience. Patience is Power.'

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A/N: Dun, dun, dun! What a surprise! He had this all planned out and it went so smoothly! Well, I will tell you this, he won't fight Natsu but I won't say who he is fighting, you have to guess! If enough people get this right, I'll tell you another secret too! Sorry it took so long but I was hanging out with my girlfriend today, yes my girlfriend. Hopefully you all understand that this does mean I may not have as much time with this story as I have school and a girlfriend now but don't worry! I wont forget about you guys! Remember! READ AND REVIEW, OR FAVORITE OR FOLLOW EVEN IF YOU SO PLEASE! ADIOS!