Detective life

by LeoxLucy

This is where Loke is a detective, but Lucy is his partner.

Unlike most, Lucy has never found death to be worth fearing. It has been by her side ever since she was young, and by now she almost finds a degree of comfort in its stable presence. In a world where war can erupt at any moment and right can become wrong at the drop of a hat, it is reassuring to know that death will always be fair and consistent. She knows it is strange of her, but being raised as a child assassin has admittedly skewed her perspective a little more than most.

It is due to this that despite being mere centimeters away from death just a minute ago, she only feels a sense of euphoria rushing through her for managing to successfully pull off the perilous gambit.

She couldn't contain the beam that spread across her face as Loke finally, finally admitted it. She broke past his lies and forced him to reveal the truth – and without a single ounce of interrogation training at that. Not bad for a first attempt.

Granted, the Shopkeeper would've probably had a conniption if he saw this display, but that's okay. She already committed treason. Reckless – and arguably suicidal – behavior was nothing compared to that.

"Is your neck okay?"

Loke's question startles her back to reality.

"It's fine," Lucy replies, smiling.

"You're bleeding," he counters.

Lucy touches her neck. Her hand comes away tinged with red. "Only a little," she dismisses. "It'll heal. I've had worse."

Her nonchalant manner seems to anger Loke, for he purses his lips into a frown. "It was far too close," he says. "What if I hadn't stopped you in time?"

Then she would be dead, obviously. She knew Loke would've been able to see through any bluff, so she went in fully resolved to carry out any threat that she made.

"I did what I had to do," she says simply.

Loke bites his lip in an uncharacteristic display of emotion for a master spy – and she's startled to see traces of distress in his eyes.

"You nearly died," he whispers. "If I had hesitated for even a split second more..." He looks at her with a haunted expression. "Even if I wasn't the one wielding the blade, I would've had blood on my hands. Your blood."

Lucy lets out a long drawn-out sigh as she slumps forward slightly, her tense muscles finally relaxing. She looks down, and suddenly she is no longer the Princess but rather Lucy Forger.

"For what it's worth, I'm sorry," she says quietly. "I didn't mean to place you in such a position. I just... I didn't know what else to do."

Loke releases a deep breath of his own. "No, it's my fault. Because of my lies, you had no choice but to use such a risky scheme. I was the one who pushed you to this point. I apologize, Lucy."

Lucy smiles humorlessly. "We both messed up, huh."

"Monumentally so," Loke agrees.

If only they were truthful to each other from the beginning, then this whole situation could've been avoided. Instead, here they were, in an abandoned building where she nearly stabbed herself in the neck just minutes prior while sitting on his lap...

Wait.

Lucy flushed bright red as she realizes with a start just how compromising their current position was. She hadn't registered it earlier due to being focused on executing her plan, but now... Lucy suddenly became acutely aware of how she was still sitting on his lap, his hands tied behind the chair, their faces so close their foreheads would touch if she just leaned in a little...

"Is something wrong?" Loke asks in concern. "Your face just went red – "

"N-Nothing!" Lucy manages to stammer out, her entire body going tense as she tries to figure out how to extricate herself from this position without giving anything away. "I-It's nothing!"

"You sure?" Loke begins to lean in, presumably to get a closer look – oh to hell with it – only to blink as, with a yelp, Lucy launches herself back, backflipping in the air before landing a solid three meters away.

Loke blinks. "Is... everything okay?"

"Yes!" Lucy coughs into her fist. "Yes, everything is fine."

"Right..." Loke casts her another questioning look but decides to drop it. "Anyhow, do you mind untying me? I haven't had any blood circulation in my arms for the past few hours."

As she cuts him free of his bonds, she takes the time to recover her composure. By the time the ropes fall to the ground, she's calm again.

"So," she says. "Should we talk?"

"I think we should."

There is a long moment of silence.

"Who are you?" Lucy asks when it becomes clear Loke wasn't going to speak first. "Why did you marry me? What is going on?"

Loke hesitates, rubbing his wrists. "I…" He sighs. "I don't even want to know how many directives and statutes I'm breaking by telling you this… but you deserve an explanation."

He takes a deep breath and his expression shifts.

"I am Loke . I married you for my mission, . The objective of the mission is to gather intelligence on Donovan Desmond, the leader of the National Unity Party, to see if he had any plans on inciting war between the two countries. To that end, I needed to marry someone so Helen could enter Fairytail Academy, and have her become an Imperial Scholar so I can attend Fairytail's private events where Desmond will be present. From there, I could then extract vital information, and be in a position to influence him and potentially prevent war if necessary."

"…"

"… too much?"

"A little, yes," Lucy says a little faintly. "So the whole point of this 'Operation Strix' is…"

"To ensure the continued preservation of peace between Ostania and Westalis," Loke pauses. "And," he continues in a quieter tone, "it was — or will be — a total success."

"The treaty," Lucy realizes.

Loke nods.

It's… it's not as bad as she expected. She was worried that he would be some nefarious evildoer, but if what he says is true, then… well, she's not exactly against peace herself. Of course, there's always the possibility that he's lying to her, but she chooses to believe him.

"Why did you pick me to be your wife?"

"Coincidence," Loke smiles at her disbelieving look. "It's true. I met you in the store when I was purchasing supplies for Helen, and I guess things just worked out."

"I… see. And Helen?"

"Picked her up from an orphanage because she was highly intelligent. Which may have been a fluke, considering her most recent grades…"

"Does she know about anything?"

Loke shakes his head. "I told her that we had to lie to you, but I didn't say why, and she never asked."

Lucy can't help but chuckle at that. "Children."

"I'm not complaining."

There's a brief moment of silence.

"What about you?" Loke asks. "What's your story?"

Lucy hums. "Most of what I told you was true. I really did need to find a partner because my coworkers were getting suspicious of me for being unmarried, and I didn't want my brother to worry. The only thing I lied about was my job."

Her gaze sharpens.

"I am the Princess of the Garden. My missions generally consist of eliminating corrupt officials and criminal elements. For my most recent mission, I was tasked with the ambush and capture of the enemy spy Loke. Everything was going according to plan until your disguise got ripped off and I realized it was you. Then..."

Her eyes flicker. "I decided to go rogue and take you to one of my safehouses. And... well, you already know everything that happened after that."

Loke nods before rubbing his face tiredly. "I really dropped the ball on this one," he sighs, his voice heavy with regret. "I'm sorry."

"It's fine," Lucy smiles. "I doubt either of us were expecting the Princess to get sent onto a mission to hunt down Loke."

Strangely, Loke frowns. "What about your brother?"

Lucy blinks in genuine confusion. "Yuri? What about him?"

"Err..." Loke makes a vague gesture. "You know..." He trails off awkwardly as she continues looking at him uncomprehendingly. "Never mind."

Lucy tilts her head but drops it when he doesn't say anything further. "Why did you try so hard at the end there, anyway? I swear you were trying to make me actively hate you or something."

"Ah," Loke scratches his cheek awkwardly. "That's because... I was. Trying to make you hate me, I mean."

Lucy blinks. "What? Why?"

"Because the Garden is most certainly after you by now," Loke says bluntly. "I needed to make you hate me so that you would not hesitate in turning me over to the Garden. This way, at least you and Helen would be safe."

Lucy stares at him incredulously.

"And you lecture me about nearly killing myself?"

"In my defense, I was confident that I could escape the Garden. You, on the other hand, straight up shoved a knife at your throat."

"You idiot!" she says, conveniently ignoring his words completely. "You stupid, reckless, self-sacrificing idiot!"

"That should be my line."

They glare at each other for several moments. Then the ridiculousness of the situation set in and the ice in their gazes begins cracking until their shoulders are shaking from the sheer absurdity of what just happened.

"We're really idiots, aren't we," Lucy giggles.

"A spy and an assassin walk into an abandoned building," Loke grins. "They both try to sacrifice themselves for the sake of the other."

"That's terrible."

"Terrible only because it's true."

Lucy shakes her head ruefully. "What even are the odds that we get married like this?"

"So small there probably aren't enough significant figures for it."

"... do you regret it, though? Getting married?"

Loke stiffens for a second before smiling. "No. No, I'm glad we did."

Lucy smiles. "I am too."

They fell into a relaxed silence, both of them feeling much more comfortable now that there are no more secrets between them. It had all been unraveled, the lies and deception and subterfuge pushed out of the way to lay bare the truth beneath.

"If you don't mind me asking, why did you become an assassin?"

"Because I needed to be able to take care of Yuri."

Loke blinks. "And you chose assassination as your job?"

Lucy shrugs. "I was a child, Loke. There already weren't many options, and I was rather inept at everything other than killing."

Oddly, Loke tenses up. "A child? How old were you when you first joined the Garden?"

"Umm..." Lucy touches her chin in thought. "I was twelve, I think? I don't really remember, honestly."

Loke looks at her, and an indecipherable emotion flickers across his eyes. "I see," he says quietly. "It must've been difficult."

"Not really. Most of my targets underestimated me due to my age."

"That's not what I meant."

"Huh?"

Loke doesn't elaborate, and Lucy shrugs after a moment. Probably just a spy thing. Speaking of which...

"What about you?" she asks. "Why did you decide to become a spy? You never struck me as the particularly patriotic type."

Loke is silent for a long moment. "We were a happy family once," he finally begins, his gaze becoming distant, unfocused. "My mother enjoyed cooking, and my father would often tell me stories about our history." His eyes flicker. "They both died in the war, leaving me all alone. For the longest time after that, I hated Ostania, enough for me to become a soldier and fight. I lost track of how many I killed. I was driven purely by hatred and the desire for revenge."

Lucy flinches, looking down.

"Then I met Gray."

Lucy snaps her head back up in surprise. "Gray?!" she blurted out in shock.

Loke laughs. "Gray," he confirms. "He was an Ostanian soldier who I met on the battlefield, and he changed my mind on everything. He made me realize that we were all human, just soldiers following orders. He's a good man. A few weeks after I met him, I was recruited by WISE to become a spy. I wasn't sure at first, but in the end, I agreed."

He rubs his left eye, as if remembering an old wound. "I may have become a soldier because of patriotism, ideology, and my pursuit of vengeance, but by the time the recruiter approached me, I didn't care about any of that anymore. To tell you the truth, I couldn't have cared less which country won the war."

"Then why?" Lucy whispers.

"Because information is power, and I needed power," Loke smiles. "Because I wished to create a world where no child would ever have to experience the horrors I did. A world where no child would ever have to cry."

Lucy drew in a sharp breath, her eyes widening slightly.

"What will we do about the Garden?" Loke asks.

They had made their way back to their apartment taking a long winded route that involved the underground subway system, secret tunnels, and sewer passageways. Tedious, but a surveillance detection route was necessary to avoid detection.

"I can make up an excuse," Lucy says. "Say that I was trying to track you down, or that perhaps you got the drop on me. It should work."

"I hope so," Loke says grimly. "I had expected them to put a hit on you already."

"I've been loyal for decades. They'll give me the benefit of the doubt," Lucy says confidently. "Not all missions go according to plan, and you're Loke, after all.

"Fair enough," Loke says as turned the corner to enter a familiar corridor. "Helen should still be at our neighbor's apartment."

Lucy nods, stepping forward to knock on the door. A moment later, the door opens to reveal their neighbor, Mrs Schmidt, an old grandmother in her sixties who often babysat Helen when both of them were busy.

"Loke!" Mrs Schmidt exclaims. "And Lucy. Why hello there."

"Hello," Loke smiles. "Sorry for the lack of contact, but we got caught up in work, so we weren't able to take Helen home last night. Thanks for looking after her."

"Oh, it was no problem, no problem at all," Mrs Schmidt smiles before frowning. "Though I do have a bone to pick with you, Loke. The men you sent to pick her up last night were very rude. Not polite at all. They need to learn some manners – Loke? What's wrong?"

Loke was completely frozen.

"Men?" Lucy breathes. "What men?"

Mrs Schmidt blinks. "They said they were good friends of Loke. They even left a letter for him. I have it here somewhere..." She disappears into the apartment and returns a few seconds later with a sealed envelope in her hand.

Loke snatches it from her hand, immediately noting the expensive high quality envelope.

"Is something wrong, Loke?" Mrs Schmidt asks, worried.

Despite his rising panic, he forces it down and smiles. "Oh, it's nothing. I'm just thinking about how to lecture them about their manners," he laughs. "Again, thank you."

They leave, quickly rushing back to their apartment. The door slams behind them as Loke tears the envelope open and holds out the letter for the two of them to read.

Princess,

We have Helen Forger. Please bring WISE Loke to Headquarters in the next 24 hours, lest further action be taken.

I await your arrival.

Shopkeeper

"Fuck!" Loke swears loudly in an unprecedeted display, his fists clenched.

Lucy, for her part, has gone completely silent, her body language strangely relaxed. Loke is about to say something when he notices the look in her eyes and instinctively takes a step back at the sheer rage immolating within them.

"Well," Lucy says, her voice measured and terrifyingly deadly. "It appears we have some killing to do."

There are few things in the world that Loke despises more than politics. It corrupts souls, axes efficiency, obstructs justice – and don't get him even started on the red tape that it generates. There is a saying that politics has claimed the lives of more men, women, and children than money ever could. Loke isn't entirely certain about the veracity of the saying, but considering how the war between Ostania and Westalis was started over a diplomatic fiasco, he's rather inclined to agree.

And it's about to claim another life.

"You want to do what now?" The tinny voice of his handler, karen, is filled with incredulity as it sounds from the tiny speakers of his encrypted portable communications device. "I'm sorry, Loke, but it sounded like you just asked for WISE to aid you in conducting a covert attack on the headquarters of the Garden."

"That's what I said."

" Loke, you do recall that the treaty is about to be signed in less than a week, yes?"

"Yes."

"And you have not suffered any intensive head injuries that impaired your mental faculties?"

"No."

"Then you'll understand why my answer is a no. Hell no. An emphatic no! Why would you ever even think I would agree?"

Loke grits his teeth. "They kidnapped Helen!"

"And you have my deepest sympathies for that. But she is but only one child, Loke. The signing of the treaty will save millions more."

"But – "

"But nothing," she declares firmly. "WISE launching an unsanctioned operation on a secret wetworks organization on soil would practically be a signed declaration of war. You might as well send a notarized notice at that point!" She sighs. "For what it's worth, I understand where you're coming from. However, you must remember that ultimately, Helen is only a nonessential asset. The success of the mission is paramount."

Loke doesn't say anything.

He can almost hear how karen narrows her eyes. "Loke..."

When he speaks, there is ice in his voice. "Handler, I am once again requesting tactical support and armaments in launching an attack on the Garden's headquarters."

"And my answer remains the same. No. Stand down, Loke. That is a direct order. We cannot risk an international incident so close to the signing of peace."

Loke takes a deep breath. Holds it. Exhales.

"Loke," he says suddenly.

"Pardon?"

"My name is not Loke. It's Loke Leo."

There is a long moment of silence. When she speaks again, her tone is quiet. "Are we really doing this?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I guess we are."

"You do understand what this means, don't you?"

"I do."

"Why?" She demands harshly, frustration coloring her tone. "It makes no sense. Helen Forger is not worth the lives of millions. You spent the past several years working to ensure the success of Operation Strix. And now, with peace so close, you're willing to throw it all away? Just for one little girl? Why?!"

Loke doesn't respond for a moment, choosing his words carefully. "I admit, I'm not perfect. I'm manipulative, I lie constantly, and apparently my taste in music is downright horrendous." He smiles. "But as wanting as I am, even I know that a man doesn't need a reason to protect his daughter."

she inhales sharply. "You..." She trails off. "You're absolutely certain you wish to do this?"

"As certain I can be."

"Then I'm afraid I have no choice," karen says sadly, sounding resigned. " Loke, I'm placing a burn notice on you." In the background, he can hear the sounds of frantic chatter and typing coming from the other analysts in the room. "You are hereby dismissed from WISE and officially labeled an enemy of Westalis with a significant bounty on your head. I suggest you remain where you are and surrender peacefully."

"Hmm... No, I don't think I will."

"I thought not," she sighs. "Then, WISE s will be instructed to bring you in."

"Yeah, about that..." Loke's gaze hardens. "No."

"Excuse me?"

"With the secrets I hold, it would be very, very easy for me to collapse Westalis. It would be such a shame if the SSS received any of the intel, don't you think?"

"... you're insane."

"I'm desperate," Loke corrects. "My daughter has been kidnapped by a secret paramilitary organization, and I have enough on my plate already to worry about WISE or its politics."

He hears karen let out a long breath. "Fine. WISE won't do anything – but you're still out. By the end of this hour, the entire intelligence community will know that you've been burned."

"I'm counting on it," Loke says. "Goodbye, Handler. It's been an honor."

"You're going to die," she suddenly hisses. "Your combat skills are good, but the entirety of the Garden is several levels above your paygrade. You can't possibly think you can take on all of them in enemy territory by yourself with no backup."

"It's a good thing then, that I have the Princess by my side."

"Wait, what-?"

He disconnects the call with the press of a button.

「」

Lucy immediately accosts him once he exits the room. "How did it go?"

"As I expected, she refused to help," Loke says. He doesn't blame her; if he was in her position, he would do the same. "I got what I was looking for."

"She burned you?"

Loke nods. "With them having disavowed me, even if I do get caught, the signing of the treaty won't be affected. From here on out, all my actions are to be regarded as that of a rogue ." He hesitates, knowing she's not going to like what's coming next. "We should meet with Gray first."

Lucy narrows her eyes. "We've already wasted enough time. You want to delay even more?"

"We need information," Loke says. "I know you're worried, but rushing in blind won't accomplish anything except land us in an early grave."

"I'm an operative. I can give you the information."

"On every single member? I thought you only worked with the Manager and the Shopkeeper before. The identities of the others are hidden even to you."

Lucy grits her teeth. "They don't matter."

"They do," Loke says resolutely. "I wish to save Helen just as much as you do, Lucy. This is just the optimal way to maximize our chances of success." He stares into her eyes, trying to convey the importance of what he was saying.

Lucy relents. "... fine."

"You goddamn fool!"

The moment Gray steps into the apartment, he immediately zeroes in on Loke, stomps over, grabs him by the tie and yanks him forward to scream in his face.

"What the hell did you do to get burned by WISE? How in the world did this happen?"

"So news has gotten out already," Loke muses.

"Of course it has! The entire intelligence community is in an uproar!" Gray rants. "Last I checked, they are celebrating, the master is trying to figure out if they can recruit you, and the SSS is running around like chickens with their heads cut off! It won't be long before all the bounty hunters come out of the woodworks for your head. I've seen the bounty and damn even I was tempted for a second! What did you do?!"

"I needed WISE to burn me so I can act freely," Loke answers.

"To do what?"

"To attack the headquarters."

"..." Gray rubs the bridge of his nose. "Start from the beginning."

"We don't have the time," Lucy says. Gray shrieks and whirls around as she materializes out of nowhere.

"Oh hey, Lucy," Gray laughs nervously. "We – we were just roleplaying! Ha ha ha."

"She knows," Loke says.

Gray blinks. "She knows?"

"Yup," Loke smiles. "Gray, meet the Princess."

"..."

Gray stares.

"What the-"

"We need all the information you have on the Garden," Lucy says insistently. "Please. They kidnapped Helen."

A mixture of emotions flash across Gray's face as he's torn between freaking out at the revelation that Lucy is the Princess and the fact that Helen is kidnapped. The latter wins out. "They did what?! Why?"

"Lucy was sent to take down Loke," Loke explains. "She defected. The Garden objected. Helen was kidnapped last night."

"Ah." Gray narrows his eyes. "You know, there's nothing I hate more than innocents getting involved in our work. You need information on the Garden, you say? I don't have much, but I can call in a few favors. How much time do I have?"

"An hour," Loke replies. If the letter was delivered last night around the same time Lucy betrayed the Garden, then they have around three hours left until the deadline is up. One hour to gather information and two hours to plan and prepare.

"Alright," Gray says. "I'll get to work."

「」

The Garden opted to use as their headquarters a small manor located on the outskirts of the city, nestled against the edge of the forest. Its architecture is simple and elegant, the majestic building stands imposingly over a vast expanse of a carefully maintained flower meadow. Violets, daisies, tulips, hyacinths, roses, and other assorted flowers form a bright and colorful image that is at odds with the place's nature as the heart of a classified wetworks organization.

The Garden does not have many members. Its secretive nature doesn't allow it to. In fact, it is less an organization and more a small group of the elite . The Princess, the Poison Paladin, and the Grandmaster are its sole three operatives, with the elderly but no less dangerous Manager stepping in occasionally to provide tactical support whenever necessary and the Shopkeeper being both the leader and their teacher. Other than those five, there are an additional ten guards who protect the headquarters and five analysts who deal with the logistics of a mission.

Of course, what the Garden lacks in numbers, it more than makes up for it in quality. It is rumored that just one of their operatives can wipe out an entire military company, and in the past several years, they have struck fear in the hearts of the corrupt and criminal alike. Not many are aware of the Garden's existence, but those who are try their best to avoid landing themselves on their radar, lest the Garden decide to remove them from it.

Never before has anyone stood up against the Garden.

Until now.

, one of the two guards assigned to man the front entrance, blinks as he registers movement off in the distance. He immediately raises his assault rifle, body going tense. Next to him, his fellow guard Nab Finley also goes on high alert, raising his radio and alerting the command that their targets have finally arrived.

Both of them stand there, guns raised and aimed at the two approaching figures walking through the path that cut through the flower meadow.

The radio crackles. "Confirm identities? Over."

Nab Finley peers into the scope attached to his rifle. "Identities confirmed. One man, one woman: Loke and the Princess."

"She's bringing him in? Over."

Nab hesitates. "Negative. Over."

Indeed, as they get closer, he sees that Loke is walking behind the Princess. He has a pistol aimed at the back of the Princess's head, and her hands are restrained behind her with bonds of some type. She is blindfolded, and her movements are slow and unusually sluggish.

"Loke is holding the Princess at gunpoint," Nab reports. "She appears to be his captive. She is restrained, and her movements suggest that drugs or poison may have been used. Permission to engage?"

There is a slight pause.

"Permission denied. Ascertain Loke's objective here." The radio goes silent after that.

"I thought the Princess defected?" Michel mutters. "And that's why we kidnapped her kid?"

Nab checks to make sure the radio's microphone is off before he answers. "Word has it that the command has no idea what's going on. All they know is that the Princess disappeared on her mission to take down Loke. I guess the Shopkeeper's just being paranoid."

Michel grunts. They fall silent as Loke and the Princess stop a good ten meters in front of them.

"Evening, gentlemen," Loke greets. Michel suppresses a shiver. The spy's voice is cold and clinical, as if he were a surgeon about to conduct an operation on an unwilling patient. With his tall stature, black hair, and emotionless green eyes, he cuts a striking figure. "You are the Garden, I presume?"

"State your name and purpose," Max barks, mostly because he isn't sure what he should say.

Loke tilts his head. "I am Loke. I wish to speak to the Shopkeeper. I don't take assassination attempts on me lightly." He shoves the Princess forward, who stumbles but doesn't have an outward reaction. Most likely drugs, or perhaps even torture. Michel regards Loke warily. How in the world did he manage to do this to the Princess? What sort of monster is he? "I have both Princess and information on WISE and Westalis to guarantee me safe passage."

This changes things. It appears that the Shopkeeper was just being paranoid when they lost contact with the Princess. He can guess what happened: despite laying out an ambush for him, Loke was able to turn it back on the Princess, incapacitate her, and take her captive. He is a legendary spy for a reason, after all. And isn't there that rumor that WISE burned Loke floating around?

"One moment," He says, nodding at Nab. He keeps his gun focused on the two as Nab quickly turns around and radios in, explaining the situation in hushed tones. A few moments later, he nods.

"The Princess is very valuable to us. We're willing to negotiate," Nab says, lowering his gun and gesturing at Michel to do the same. "You may come inside and speak with the Shopkeeper."

Loke inclines his head. Keeping his gun aimed at the back of the Princess's head, he steps forward. Michel and Nab open the grand double doors before moving to the side, tensing up as the two pass. He notes that Loke remains utterly composed and at ease.

Is it arrogance? Or just supreme confidence? Even now, Loke allows them to bring up the rear despite how they may shoot him in the back at any time. They won't, of course, but he doesn't know that.

Or does he? Has Loke seen through them already? Constructed a psychological profile and predicted their every potential action?

Max glances over at Nab as they follow behind them, who seems to have come to a similar conclusion, judging by the extremely wary look on his face.

So this is Loke. How utterly terrifying.

The grand double doors slam shut behind them with an ominous thud.