Unbeknownst to all interested parties in earthland, the celestial realm was in a bit of a tizzy. Lucy's spirits felt her connection but it was duplicated almost exactly with a faint hint of a third developing and tugging at the two. It was the most unique circumstance that could no longer be ignored as a fluke by her spirits. They had been reluctant to go to the King, but finally, Leo had no choice.
It was during this ever-important meeting between the King and Lucy's spirits that Laxus had shown up at the safe house. During this exact moment of Laxus's arrival, Bickslow and Cobra were at the crux of forging a soul-deep bond. It was in this precise moment, a perfect mixture of chaos, that Lucy had been teleported back to Fairy Tail along with Laxus. If any of the parties were not otherwise so engaged at Laxus's arrival, things may have proceeded far differently.
Laxus would have realized that the woman he saw, who looked very similar to Lucy but certainly did not smell like her as he remembered, was in fact, Lucy. If he had seen the spirits pop into existence he would have known, if he saw Bickslow or Cobra he would have known. If Freed had told him about the alarm at the safe house and the information he discovered before he went off on his mission with Wendy and Midnight, Laxus would have known.
As it stood, however, he did not know. He did not know that the small frail woman who was vomiting at his feet was in fact Lucy Heartfilia. He did not see her emblem that was covered by her fingerless gloves, he did not hear her melodic voice tainted with distrust and fear. He only knew that this woman was an imposter of sorts who had managed to invade the Thunder Legion's safe house.
Again, unwittingly grabbing her by her recently healed arm and jolting her upright, he growled "Who the hell do you think you are trespassing on my property." He shoved the doors open and dragged the woman through the guild hall straight up to his office.
Lucy had her eyes clenched shut, swallowing the pinches of pain that shot throughout her arm, willing her tears away in a vague attempt to hide her weakness. She knew in her heart it was a futile attempt but it also served a dual purpose, she wouldn't have to see the faces of guildmates, the people who supposedly thought the world of her. The people that gave up on her. She hadn't even begun to address or acknowledge or heal that part of her.
She felt the chair cushion sink under her weight as she was forced into a chair. Her mind was whirling in a million directions, her thoughts felt like a dozen rubber balls bouncing in a box. She couldn't focus, she couldn't speak, and she couldn't open her eyes. She simply curled in on herself, knees tucked to her chest in the tightest ball she could manage. Only then did some of her thoughts begin to calm, that was until he spoke.
"What's your name?" The question was fueled by anger and filled with dominance.
Lucy had no response, trying to gain control of herself, any control, even if it was willfully ignoring who was speaking to her.
Laxus slammed his hands down on the desk and bellowed loudly, "WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU?" his deep baritone voice lighting a wave of fear over her tightly compacted body.
Lucy raised her face to look into the eyes of the man yelling at her. She knew then that he didn't recognize her. She couldn't understand why. He should have recognized her smell at least.
She shifted her weight slightly, her keys making a small sound on her hip. She had all but forgot about them in her flurry of thoughts but just as she went to reach for them. Laxus recognized the nearly impossible sound since Lucy's keys were in a lockbox in the guild's basement, as he reached for whatever Lucy was clutching she gripped them to her chest and folded in on herself again holding on to them for dear life. Never again would she let her keys go.
She felt Laxus' hand try to pry them away from her, she went on instinct and let out a feral scream and bit the man's hand as hard as she could.
Laxus staggered back holding his hand in shock that this woman had bitten him. She refused to speak, wreaked of fear, and acted like a scared rabid animal. "FUCK, fine act like a wild animal, I'll treat you like one."
Laxus pressed a button on his desk, "Hiroshi, send the twins to my office."
Lucy heard a barely audible grunt. She had a vague recollection of hearing the name Hiroshi but it felt like a lifetime ago. A few moments later the door opens and two men who looked identical enter the room. Their hair reminds her of Leo's as she peeks at them through the nest of hair covering her face.
"Take this woman to the hold please." An exasperated sigh leaves Laxus and it was the first hint of the Laxus Lucy knew.
"Yes boss," the twins said in unison. They each picked up an arm and rather gently lifted her from her spot. Lucy's body was forced to unfurl as her keys were held in a death grip in her good hand. She closed her eyes tightly once again as the two men she did not recognize took her to the basement of Fairy Tail.
It was there in her cell that she tried to summon her spirits. She found it odd when she felt the warm pull of magic but received no response. She was especially dismayed when she received no response from Leo of Virgo. She slumped over herself once more, she would try again a little later. It worried her, but that worry was no greater than being separated from the two men she had been spending the last few months with. She suddenly felt hollow and alone again, she laughed humorlessly to herself. While this nearly wasn't as bad as the dungeons of Black Sun, she found herself caged and cut off again.
Her tears no longer came as she stared at the inventory of bar supplies just beyond the cell. It was familiar to her, remembering how she would help Mira restock the bar after a busy weekend. They were memories that warmed her heart, remembering life before Black Sun.
Then she remembered how angry Cobra was when he recounted what life was like in the guild without her. The sadness in Bickslow's eyes at the thought of returning to the guild and that damn helmet he had adopted again in her absence. Wendy had said things were different, but Lucy knew she was hiding something.
She felt a new wave of resolve wash over her as she became numb to the warm memories of her former time with her supposed Nakama. She sat up straight and got into a comfortable position and began to meditate. It was the only thing she could think of at that moment to re-ground herself from her turbulent removal at the most inopportune of moments. Lucy pushed aside questions of whether the boys noticed her missing or why her spirits could not be communicated with.
Back in the safehouse Cobra realized with a start that he could no longer hear Lucy. It took all of two seconds for him to quickly connect the dots before he jolted upright out of the arms of the Seith mage who was still in a post-coital stupor.
Without a word, Cobra leaped out of the bed putting his clothes on, as Bickslow sat up and watched in dismay. He heard the man uttering "oh, fuck no" in a tone that was utterly heartwrenching.
Bickslow's immediate thoughts were that the slayer regretted everything that just transpired and Bickslow became stone still as his heart teetered on instantly breaking. Cobra whipped his head around and the look in his eye alarmed the seith mage even more.
Cobra spoke so fast that Bickslow barely understood what he said, "She's fuckin' gone, I can't hear her" Bickslow jumped off the bed and also threw his clothes on as Cobra yanked the door wide open and began yelling for the blonde.
Bickslow followed close on the slayer's heels. Feelings of shame washed over him as he was happy that Cobra's actions were not because he was rejecting him. Bickslow's heart now raced at the news that Cobra could not hear Lucy.
They raced outside and Cobra surveyed the training grounds as he inhaled deeply, smelling the traces of ozone, a deep and dangerous growl erupted from the slayer. "What is it?" Bickslow asked with a voice full of apprehension.
"Laxus" Cobra ground out, "I can smell him, he took her."
Cobra grabbed his communication lacrima and immediately contacted Midnight. The moment he heard his voice, Cobra yelled, "Is she there, did that fuckin' prick take her to the guild?"
Bickslow listened in while he activated his babies and summoned them to his side. "What do you fuckin' mean you're not at the guild? Where the fuck are you?" Bickslow watched on as Cobra paced back and forth.
"In fuckin' Corcus?" Cobra's voice was seething at this point.
"Is Wendy with you?"
"FUCKIN' SERIOUSLY?" Bickslow watched as Cobra punched the side of the house.
"No, she is gone. I smell Laxus and I don't hear Lucy, he took her."
"I don't fuckin' know!" The desperation in Cobra's voice compelled Bickslow to approach the man and put a hand on his arm to calm him. Bickslow was close enough to hear both parts of the conversation.
"What were you doing?" Bickslow heard Midnight ask.
"None of your fuckin' business."
Bickslow could hear the irritation in the reflector mage's voice "You call me looking for Lucy because she was taken while you were busy doing something else, what could have possibly been more important?"
"Fuck off, cunt. Who else besides you and Wendy knows?"
"Freed, he had become aware of the situation as a result of his rune security being tripped."
Bickslow facepalmed as he realized he should have been more careful.
"Well that fuckin' prick told Laxus and now she is gone."
"No, he did not tell Laxus because he is here with us."
"You just take him at his word?" Then Cobra listened in a little harder to Midnight's soul and he heard it. "How the hell can I be sure your little fuck buddy didn't spill?"
Midnight let out an audible sigh, "Our job is done here, we will meet you back at the guild. It should take us about 2 days."
"FUCK, she wasn't ready for this Macbeth. We are leaving now, we should be there around the same time as you."
Cobra shoved the com in his pocket and began pacing the back yard trying to sniff out more details. He smelled Lucy's fear and tears, as well as Laxus's anger. Cobra inhaled deeply and practically roared releasing some of his poison in the air.
Bickslow watched from the doorway, skittish to approach the visibly furious slayer. Once Cobra looked at Bickslow, the seith mage could not stay away any longer and he approached the slayer despite the poisonous cloud swirling. Bickslow was unafraid because deep down, at that moment, he knew the poison would not affect him. Cobra wrapped his arms aggressively around Bickslow and they took a moment to collect themselves.
Bickslow broke away first, "I'll be ready in 10 minutes".