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Chapter 148

The Legion Platoon

I woke up the following morning in my room feeling tired and exhausted. After everything that happened the other night, I didn't stop until I made it back to my apartment room. It was a miracle that I was able to get back to Magnolia without being seen by anyone. I sat up with a groan, my body still feeling sluggish as well as in pain, as I rubbed my eyes, getting up from out of bed. I got out of bed and started to do some stretches, starting with squats, then stretching my arms.

"Geez. I'd say I've been through worse, but I don't think I've ever felt this bad before. That girl put me through the wringer."

I got out of bed and started to do some stretches, starting with squats, then stretching my arms. I walked into the bathroom to try and take a bath to ease the pain of my body when I caught a glimpse of my reflection in the mirror, noticing the state I was. I noticed something that made me stop and look at myself. Aside from the bags under my eyes from lack of sleep, I saw something else that seemed a bit strange.

I knew that I had suffered some significant damage from last night, no thanks to that girl with the ooze, but for some reason, there was hardly any damage. There were a couple of bruises here and there, but there were almost completely gone. Not only that, but I also had a few strange scabs that formed around my skin and my cheek. They were all colored black and were almost completely gone.

"What the heck? I know that I took some damage, and I was going to try and heal myself today, but my wounds are almost gone now. And these scabs, it's most likely from the ooze inside my body."

As flashbacks of last night came into my mind, I couldn't help but remember when that girl was talking trash about me and me supposedly killing Don Ghira from Black Panther.

"Now that I think about it, I haven't heard from Don Ghira ever since the others, and I busted him and his guild in Naoko. I assumed that he got taken into custody along with his other members, but given that girl's intent when she told me about him, I don't think she was lying. It figures that I would get accused of something I didn't do. Then again, what do I care? Don Ghira's was a messed up man, anyway. But it does make me curious as to what that girl's connection to him is? A fan of his of some kind? I should have questioned her more, but then I..."

Flashbacks of the fight between, and the girl came next. I could remember every blow and every impact that girl inflicted on me and me displaying the same abilities as she did when I lost it that night. Despite almost killing that girl, I felt amazed that I had such power within me, yet still somewhat worried, especially since I almost got caught by the Magic Council. If I hadn't gotten away when I did, I would've ended up in a cell again, but now I had to be even more careful.

"Perhaps it's for the White Falcon to lie low for the time being. No doubt the Magic Council's going to be investigating the incident. So for now, I'll stay as Willy Falconer, and keep gathering information another way."

When I finished getting dressed and washing up, I left the apartment complex and started towards the tavern, passing by the landlady who was sweeping outside.

"Good morning, Willy. I haven't seen you around for a while. How have you been?"

"I've been hanging in there, Ma'am," I said to her. "Thank you for asking."

The landlady then squinted at me. "You sure about that? You look like me just getting back on a night on the town, when everybody drinks and then comes back after a hangover."

"Well, I don't know about that, but I did stay up a little late," I told her.

"You better make sure you get some sleep tonight then," said the landlady. "As they say: "A day without sleep is like a cupcake without frosting." Make sure that you're getting plenty of rest, you hear me?"

"Don't worry, Ma'am. I'll make sure to get some zs in when I come back home," I said with a chuckle.

"And if you see Lucy, make sure to tell her not to forget about her rent," said the landlady. "I swear, that girl may be sweet, but she has a habit of being unreliable."

"I'll be sure to tell her," I said. "You know, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you're treating Lucy like she's your daughter."

The landlady appeared to be a bit embarrassed. "Well, I wouldn't say that... I just don't want her to get negligent of paying her rent is all," she said a bit gruffly. "Don't read too much into it."

"Whatever you say, Ma'am," I chuckled. "Anyway, I got to get going. Lucy's not the only one who's got rent to pay. I'll see you later, okay?"

And with a goodbye wave, I walked away, heading on my way towards the tavern.

NO POV.

Back at the facility, the man was busily at work, treating a certain someone who was lying on a stretcher battered, bruised, and bandaged like a mummy. As she lay there, Amina couldn't stop thinking about last night, when she fought the masked man she saw the other night. The mere thought of it made her blood boil and her face red with anger and revenge.

"Damn it! This is fricking bullcrap!" Amina yelled out, slamming her fist on the stretcher's surface. "How dare that little bastard get the drop on me like that?! And how the hell was he able to use the same powers as me?! I swear once I get healed up, I'm going to kill that little punk! I swear to it!"

"Calm yourself, Amina," said the man. "It wouldn't be so wise to act so hastily, especially since you got beaten so soundly. The only thing you can do is to learn from your defeat and to be prepared the next time you see that boy."

"You don't get it, Old Man!" Amina snapped. "That masked freak didn't just beat me, he made a fool out of me and copied my power! I thought you said that I was the only one who could use the ooze!"

"I didn't say that," the man said calmly, readying a needle. "I said that you were one of the few that can use it. It's not like you're the only one. Through my research, I've tested dozens of other subjects, and most of them weren't capable of taking the ooze, while some like you showed compatibility with it."

"I don't give a crap about any of that!" Amina yelled, growing more impatient. "Just hurry up and heal me, so I can go and kill that lousy bastard!"

The man then plunged the needle right into Amina's arm, emptying all of its contents into her. Amina's body jumped from the injection, and after a few seconds, her eyes slowly closed as she fell asleep, going silent. At that moment, the projection of the man with black hair, appeared.

"Please forgive me, Master," the man said with a curt bow. "I'm afraid that someone has put Amina out of commission for a bit. And I think it's obvious who did this to her based on her testimony."

"I am aware, but fear not. I'd say the testing was a success, and Amina has done well," the projection spoke as he played with its hair. "I never really expected her to succeed. She was merely a messenger, and that message has been received. How long before she's fully recovered?"

"I'd say in about a couple of days or so," said the man. "I'd like to give her another dose of ooze, so that she's better prepared in the upcoming battles ahead. Speaking of which, how are you and the others, Master? Are you all adjusting to their new abilities?"

"Naturally," said the projection. "And I must say, I'm quite pleased with what you've created, Satoshi. You've outdone yourself immensely. We should have no problem accomplishing our goal, thanks to your work."

"I am pleased that you are all enjoying my masterpiece, Master," the man said. "But be sure to exercise caution when using it. I did have to go through several subjects to perfect it."

"You needn't concern yourself with me and my allies," the projection spoke. "Unlike those other fools that failed to adapt, we're on a higher caliber, and we'll use any power at our disposal to take our revenge on those who wronged us. Most especially, Willy Falconer and Fairy Tail. Just make sure that Amina is back up and ready to fight. I have some matters to attend to."

The projection then disappeared, and the man returned his gaze to Amina, who was still sleeping peacefully.

"Fear not, Amina. Once you've recovered and enhanced with my ooze, a setback like this won't happen again," the man said. "And after that's done, you'll be far stronger than before. Strong enough to exact not only your revenge, but also mine. And I'll be looking forward to when that time comes."

WILLY'S POV

It wasn't long before I approached the tavern, looking forward to going out on another job. However, when I entered, I was expecting to see all of the familiar faces like any other day. This time, there were a few new faces inside. Four of them, to be exact.

The first was a girl that had long brown hair tied in a braid with a blue jewel along with a face that was like an adorable puppy's, talking to Lucy, Michelle, Pantherlily, and Wendy, like they were old friends. The second was a girl who had long purple hair with a broad streak of white hair on the left side, yelling angrily at Natsu while he yelled back at her with Wendy trying to calm them down. The third was a man that had blonde hair in a quiff style wearing sunglasses and a strange white suit, who was flirtatiously winking at Gray, creeping him out, while Juiva glared dangerously at him. Finally, over by the bar with Macao and Makarov was a tall, muscular man who sported tall spikey white hair, and wore clothing and armor, and had a great staff, appearing to be inspecting something while talking in private.

At first, I had no idea who these newcomers were, but as I looked over at them, I couldn't help but feel a sense that I've met them somewhere before. But I couldn't place where.

Then Lucy took notice of me and waved. "Hey, Willy! Come on over here! There's someone who you got to meet! But you won't believe who it is!"

I then walked over Lucy's table. "What's up, Lucy?"

"You remember back when we went to Edolas?" asked Lucy with a smile. "Well, take a guess who this is."

I looked over at the girl with the pigtail, who smiled at me, trying to be friendly. It took me a few seconds to think, but when I started thinking back to when we were in Edolas, my mind clicked.

"Wait a second! You're Coco!" I said, pointing. "That girl who served the kind and helped us out on that creature thingy!"

"Well, Coco is my name, but I'm afraid we haven't met before," Coco said with a smile. "But, it's a pleasure to meet you, Willy."

"But, don't you recognize me, Coco?" I asked, feeling puzzled. "We fought together back at Edolas, remember? But hold on. How did you get here? I thought no one could travel between our worlds because of the Aminas being destroyed."

Now Coco looked puzzled. Wendy and Lucy then chuckled.

"She looks like Coco, Willy, but she's not the Coco that we know," Lucy explained. "She's the Coco that's lived in Earthland, aka this world, all this time."

"You mean she's from here?" I asked, looking at the blonde in surprise. "Then, if that's the case, then..."

"That's right," chimed in Wendy. "The rest of them are the Earthland counterparts of Sugarboy, Hughes, and even Byro."

I looked back at the other newcomers around the tavern, and sure enough, they did look just like our former enemies at Edolas, albeit a few significant differences, except for Byro, due to never seeing him before. I also didn't forget that their counterparts had caused a lot of trouble in the past, which made me feel a bit tentative.

"Say, they're okay, right?" I asked Lucy and Wendy privately. "Need I remind you that those guys have caused a good deal of trouble in the past."

"Don't worry, I had my suspicions too, but they're okay," reassured Wendy. "But unlike their Edolas versions, they're a lot nicer."

"So what brings them over here, anyway?" I wondered. "And where did they come from?"

"It's because I sent a request not too long ago," said Lucy. "You see, Michelle and I were trying to figure out more about the keepsake my Dad left behind, so Michelle came up with the idea of putting up a request. After a while, Mira posted our request, and not long after, Coco and her group showed up to take it. Granted, we were a bit surprised considering that they're the Earthland counterparts of our former enemies, but as you can see, we're getting along just fine."

"I see. That explains a lot," I said, looking back at Byro, Macao, and Makarov. "So, what did you find out about the Memento so far?"

Before Lucy could answer, the sound of footsteps caught our attention, and we looked up to see that Byro now stood before us. Now that he was standing before us, I couldn't help but feel a little self-conscious because was he was so tall.

"Oh, Lord Byro!" said Coco.

"Please excuse me, but are you the young lady known as Lucy Heartfilia?" the man asked.

The blonde then stood up. "Yes, that's me. May I help you?"

"Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Byro Cracy," the man introduced, giving a slight bow. "One of the many followers of Zentopia. If you don't mind, I wish to have a word with you along with the rest of your comrades. "

"Oh, sure thing, Mr. Byro," Lucy said. "Did you find out anything about my father's keepsake or any idea what it is? I figured that it was the hand of a clock, but I don't know how or why my Dad had this thing in the first place."

"Sadly, I have no idea either," said Byro. "But I can tell you that this item is of great importance to us and the Archbishop of Zentopia."

"Hold on, Lord Byro!" Coco protested alarmingly. "Are you sure it's wise to tell them about that? You said so yourself that we have to keep it secret no matter what!"

"I understand that, Coco, but as of now, things have changed," said Byro. "Especially since Ms. Heartfilia somehow has obtained one of the pieces in her possession. And since we've taken the job to help her decipher it, we might as well explain things to her." He then turned towards us and everyone else in the room. "Listen well, everyone. What I'm about to tell you is something that must not leave this place. Understand?"

Everyone that was in the building all answered with a nod or said yes. Byro then went over to the bar and set his staff down, then picked up the suitcase which Michelle was carrying over to Lucy's table opened it taking out a strange item. It was a long and strange-looking object wrapped in gray and tattered cloth. Byro then unwrapped the cloth and revealed what laid underneath. It was a brown, rod-like, and had a rounded end that looked like a gear.

"This object you see before you isn't just an ordinary object," Byro said. "This is one of the many pieces of an ancient and powerful magical artifact known as the Infinity Clock."

"The Infinity Clock?" everyone repeated.

"I'm assuming it's some kind of magic clock?" I asked.

"Correct," said Byro. "Legend has it that a brilliant sorcerer who practiced in many arts of magic created it. So brilliant that he created the Infinity Clock with the hopes of furthering his studies even when he was old and gray. However, upon the clock's completion and after using its magic, the sorcerer soon realized that the clock's powers were far too destructive and would bring about the end of the world. And so, the clock was sealed away, dismantled into six pieces, and scattered throughout the land."

"That would explain that strange inscription we saw on it the other day," said Erza. "But if that's the case, how did Lucy's father get his hands on it?"

"Good question," Lucy said thoughtfully. "Say, Michelle? You sure my Dad didn't tell you anything about this?"

Michelle shook her head. "I'm afraid he didn't," she said with a frown. "All he could tell me was to give to you as soon as I found you. He didn't tell me anything else."

"Regardless as to how it got here, it's fortuitous that your father managed to find one of the pieces," said Byro. "As members of Zentopia, we, the Legion Platoon, have been searching for those pieces with the hopes to retrieve them."

"But why would you want to find the pieces?" asked Gray. "You said it yourself, they're dangerous, right?"

"Are you aware of the attacks on the churches over the past few days?" asked Byro.

"Hey, now that you mention it, we've heard about them a lot," pointed out Macao. "It's been all over the papers. Are you saying that they have something to do with this?"

"Without a doubt," said Byro. "The attacks were caused by an enemy that also wishes to seek out the parts of the clock. We have no idea who could want them, but if those pieces fall into the wrong hands, the Infinity Clock will be reformed, and the world will end, and chaos will reign supreme. To prevent such a fate, we were tasked by the Archbishop to collect all of the pieces. Once we do, we plan to take them back to the main church to seal them away.

"Which is why, after doing some talking," said Makarov. "We've decided that the Legion Platoon and Fairy Tail will be working together to find the clock pieces, and once we find them, we'll turn them over to Zentopia and leave it up to them to seal them."

"Hold on a minute! What about the part that Lucy's got?" protested Natsu. "That was given to her by her old man! Shouldn't she be the one to keep it?"

"It's alright, Natsu. I'm okay with giving it to Zentopia," said Lucy. "Besides, now that we know what it is, it's better to let the people of Zentopia keep it. You heard what Byro said, it's dangerous, and I don't think it would be safe to keep it. Especially since it's most likely the chaos that the inscription said, is most likely what Byro was talking about."

"Then, would you allow me to take this to our headquarters?" asked Byro. "I believe it would the best place to keep it safe."

"That's fine with me," Lucy answered with a nod. "In the meantime, we need to find more information about this. Although, I'm not so sure about where to begin."

"I can use my fortunetelling to help narrow some things down," offered Cana. "And maybe it'll help give us some ideas."

"That's my little girl!" Gildarts suddenly burst out, speaking in a cute tone. "Just leave it all to my baby girl!"

"Would you knock it off?!" Cana chided, her cheeks flushing. "You're embarrassing me!"

"Sugarboy, Hughes, Coco. While I deliver this to the Archbishop, I'll dispatch Samuel and Dan to help assist us," said Byro. "In the meantime, you will all stay here and assist Ms. Lucy and her friends with whatever they need."

"Yes, Lord Byro," the three said bowing.

"Alright then! It looks like we're on the hunt for some clock pieces!" Natsu grinned with enthusiasm. "I don't understand, but I'm all fired up now! You with me, Happy?!"

"Aye, aye, sir!" answered the blue feline.

As everyone else grew eager about our new mission, there was one person among them that didn't seem as keen as everyone else. That person was me. For some reason, something about this didn't seem right. First, there was this whole Infinity Clock business, and there was also the fact we had to look for something so dangerous. Wouldn't it make sense to leave the rest of the pieces alone, so that way they could stay hidden? And then there was the fact of this unknown enemy that's supposedly burning down the churches. Something about this didn't add up, but I couldn't figure out what it was.

Then, at that moment, a sudden twang shot through my mind making me twitch, my muscles tensing up for a fraction of a second. I looked around, wondering what could have caused my strange feeling, but everyone else was busy making plans. Thinking that it must have been nothing, and probably due to not getting enough sleep, I went and joined the others with the hopes I wasn't overthinking things too much.

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