"So, that's what happened, hm?" Aiden asked Knightwalker, who was still wrapped in bandages from her fight with Erza the previous week.
"From what I saw, that's everything," Knightwalker replied. "His stupid script failed mesirably and he ended up falling off the edge of the tower.
"So that's what happened to him, hm…?" Aiden let out a slight sigh before taking a seat. "I suppose there is nothing that can be done about it…"
"What's next, genius mage?" Knightwalker asked in a clearly sarcastic and annoyed tone of voice.
"We do nothing." Aiden replied, though that wasn't what Knightwalker wanted to hear. The Edolas Knight gripped Aiden by the collar of his shirt, lifting him up off the air a few inches.
"Nothing?" Knightwalker repeated, glaring into Aiden's indifferent expression. "How are we going to sit around and do nothing? I still haven't gotten my chance to prove I'm the better Erza!"
"Now, now…" Aiden said with a calming expression. "I understand you're upset about your inability to defeat Titania…but you should understand that jumping into the next battle without a course of action isn't always the best thing to do, though there are some people who manage to prevail despite that. We are not here to take chances. Though Hyde was excellent with planning, his plans were foiled, yes?"
"What are you getting at?" Knightwalekr asked, her annoyed expression still evident despite Aiden's supposedly calming words.
"I suggest we sit back, do nothing, and see how things play out. It appears there is another party; Dealer, yes?" Aiden asked.
"Yes…" Knightwalker slowly replied.
"We'll see how our friends deal with Dealer, and whenever the time is right, we'll strike. Though, you don't have to follow this plan. You can do whatever you want, if you so wish…Like fighting Titania again, and tying."
Knightwalker nearly threw Aiden back into his seat at his comment about her inability to defeat Erza, turning around to walk off. "Don't talk to me, or you'll go through the wall next."
"Feisty…" Aiden said with a slight chuckle before turning around to his computer. "I can tell things are about to get a little messy soon…it's best if we stay out of it…"
.
.
"Enjoying your stay so far?" Cain asked the tied up Yukino, a slight smirk on his face. Despite her current situation, the bounty hunters who caught her were rather kind to her, and did not mistreat her at all.
"Being tied by the wrist cuts the enjoyment of it…" Yukino replied in a rather sarcastic tone.
"We don't want you escaping now…" Aeon said while fixing his hair. "But, you cannot complain…we've been treating you rather well, yes?"
"You've been very hospitable..." Yukino agreed. "Though I'm sure you have some ulterior motive to it…"
"Welllll…" Cain began, walking around the room. "We've been ordered by our employer to make sure we bring you back in tip-top condition. And, as our leader always says: The bond between the client and the hunter is the most important thing there is. If we can't do such a simple task, how can we expect anyone else to hire us?"
"I see…." Yukino replied while looking elsewhere. "And where exactly are you taking me? Who is your client? You know Sabertooth won't stand for this…."
"Sabertooth doesn't even know anything yet," Bass replied to Yukino's comment with a stern expression.
"As for our client, I'm afraid that's classified information. But, our next location? The Pergrande Kingdom." Aeon explained.
"W-What…!?" Yukino's eyes widened at this news. They were taking her across the country to Pergrande!?
"Oh, don't worry!" Cain said while patting Yukino on the head in a clearly condescending manner. "You won't be alone! A few of the others are out gathering the rest of our targets…"
"Others…?" Yukino looked up at Cain with a worried expression, also internally annoyed at the condescending pats to her head.
"Oi, Cain…" Bass said while nudging his head down to the floor, a slight vibration occurring seconds after. "He's hungry."
"He is, is he?" Cain let out a sigh. "Why am I not surprised…."
"Who's hungry…?" Yukino asked quietly, though Bass heard her clearly.
"Rajaron." Bass merely replied.
"H-How many of you are there…!?" Yukino asked again.
"Oh, he's not like us…Rajaron is a special case…" Aeon said while walking off. "Don't worry, I'll scrounge up something for him to eat. If I can't, I'm sure the others can hunt down some food for him. He really has been feeling a taste for human skin and bones lately…"
.
.
It was night at Magnolia now, the streets lit up by the few street lights overhead. Natsu, Lucy, and Happy walked down the streets. Lucy was really planning on going home, but with Natsu and Happy sleeping in her house every other day it may as well be considered their home. That's what she thought, anyway. "It's been really quiet the last week…" Lucy said while looking around the town. "Nothing from Dealer…"
"Maybe they've given up?" Happy said with complete optimism.
"Doubt it…" Natsu replied while keeping a somewhat serious expression. "I still haven't kicked King or Joker's ass, so of course they're not done!" Natsu's expression then turned into a smug grin.
"I knew you were going to say that…" Lucy gave a half smile towards her partner. But, the talk about Dealer made her thoughts drift over to Queen Tia, making her wonder how the aquatic queen was doing. "Hm…Hey, Natsu…?"
"Hm?" Natsu turned, giving a curious glance to the celestial blonde. "What is it, Lucy?"
"Do you think that everyone in Dealer is all bad…?" Lucy asked with uncertainty. "I mean…I don't get the impression that Tia and Jack are as bad as they make themselves out to be. They did come to Lisanna's funeral, after all."
"They did…?" Natsu blinked a few times, clearly forgetting about the funeral held for Lisanna because she was actually alive and well. But, he played if off as if he did anyway. "They're still enemies, whether they're good or bad." Natsu replied. "They've made enemies of Fairy Tail, and it doesn't look like they'll be falling back anytime soon."
"You totally forgot about it, didn't you…" Happy whispered.
"Shhh…" Natsu whispered back over to his faithful exceed."
On the rooftops nearby, two of the Wizard Hunters were watching the trio return to Lucy's house. One was a female with a sort of scouter on her left eye. Brown hair, blue eyes, and she wore a simple dress. Beside her was another male, but he seemed quite young in age, and dressed like a jester. "They're approaching the trap faster than I thought they would…" The female said to her partner.
"Well it's a good thing we set it up early, huh, Marta?" The young child asked.
"That's correct, Marx…" Marta said with a nod. "The client wants Celestial spirit mages, and the only two in Fiore happen to have the 12…no, 13 Zodiac Keys…We'll be rich once we capture this other one."
"Yeah, yeah, haha!" Marx giggled, but Marta quickly shushed him.
"Here she comes…I've done my research, and it seems that Lucy Heartfilia weighs one hundred and-" As Marta spoke a train in the distance drowned out her voice for a few seconds. "Pounds."
"Whoa…" Marx blinked a few times.
Lucy stepped onto a magic seal, causing a rope to appear and hang her upside down from her ankle, causing her to flail in a comedic fashion, the skirt she was wearing moving up. "Wahhh?!"
"Eh?" Natsu blinked as Lucy was caught in the rope, curiously glancing at her panties. "What-"
"DON'T LOOK!" Lucy said as her face turned immensely red, using her hands to cover herself. It wasn't long after before the rope snapped and she fell on her face.
"It…broke…?" Marta blinked a few times. "My calculations were wrong…?"
"You've gained weight." Natsu said bluntly.
"I-I have not!" Lucy replied in a defensive tone while standing up, dusting herself off.
"Have too." Happy said with a snicker.
"Shut up, you stupid cat…!" Lucy groaned.
"Okay…it looks like we're doing this the hard way…" Marta said while clicking off her scouter. "Marx, watch my back."
"Ayyyye!" Marx nodded.
"I wonder what that was all about…" Lucy said as she began to walk once again. Just then, Marta appeared seemingly out of nowhere, throwing a magic sealing net around Lucy. "Wha!?"
"Got'cha!" Marta said with a grin.
Natsu immediately clicked into battle mode, fire flaming around his fist as he ran forward. "I don't think so!" Natsu leapt forward, but he was intercepted by Marx, who grabbed Natsu's fist, sliding back. "A kid?"
"I'm not just any kid!" Marx replied his mouth opening as he gather an accumulation of raw magic.
"Nani…!?" Natsu's eyes widened at the sight of Marx gathering energy.
"Natsu, look out!" Happy flailed.
"Fire Dragon's Roar!" Natsu exclaimed, unleashing his roar just as Marx fired off his mouth beam, the point blank collision's resulting in a mass explosion, blowing both parties back. "Gah!" Natsu looked on in the explosion, unable to see anything, but he used his sense of smell to scout out Lucy, who was seemingly getting farther and farther away. "OI!" Natsu hopped up, running into the smoke, seeing Marx and Marta running on the rooftops.
"Natsu, they're getting away!" Happy flailed.
"Not on my watch!" Natsu exclaimed while hopping onto the roof tops, chasing after the Wizard Hunters.
"What's going on!? Let me go!" Lucy pleaded while attempting to free herself from the net, but to no avail.
"It'll all be explained soon enough." Marta said with a slight grin. She then looked over her shoulder, noticing the incoming Salamander's hot pursuit. "Agh, he's persistent…Marx, will you deal with him?"
"Aye, aye! Haha!" Marx grinned before skidding to a halt, turning on his heal while doing so. "Let's play…!" Several magic seals appeared in front of Marx, all unleashing…moderately sized bouncy balls towards Natsu.
"Bouncy balls? Get out of here with that!" Natsu exclaimed while drawing his fist back. "Iron Fist of the Fire Dragon!" Natsu threw his flaming fist forward towards an incoming bouncy ball, making contact with ease…though it went the opposite of what he expected. His own force was used against him and he flew back. "Grah!?"
"Natsu…!" Happy went to fly after Natsu, but a bouncy ball hit him in his back, causing him to spiral away.
"Haha!" Marx gave off a childish laugh, forming a bouncy ball under his feet, which he bounced on with ease. "Fun, right?"
"Who the hell is this guy?" Natsu grumbled while regaining his composure, glaring towards Marx. He realized that Marta was getting away with Lucy by this point, but it didn't seem like he could do much at the moment about that.
"I'm Marx, a member of the Wizard Hunters!" Marx exclaimed proudly.
"Wizard Hunters?" Natsu raised a brow at the name, but he then went by his old way of doing this. Beat up first, ask questions later. "I'll be sure to make you talk about it when we're done here!" Natsu ran forward once again, fire covering his body.
"You can try!" Marx replied while sending more bouncy balls towards Natsu.
This time, Natsu was ready. He swayed from left to right, making sure to evade the bouncy balls. Then, when he got close to Mark, he drew his arm back, sending yet another Iron Fist of the Fire Dragon towards the small child. "I got you!"
"Whooop!" Marx jumped seconds before Natsu's punch connected. Marx then landed on Natsu's back, and jumped off rather roughly, causing Natsu to slam into the rooftop. Marx flipped and landed gracefully, giving a childish taunting smirk to the Salamander. "So close!"
"Acrobatic bastard…" Natsu said while standing back up, using the back of his hand to wipe his mouth.
Happy then flew in, grabbing Marx from behind and lifted him into the air. "Natsu, I got him!"
"Gah!?" Marx's eyes widened in semi shock, struggling to escape Happy's grip. "Lemme go you stupid furball!"
"Nice work, Happy!" Natsu grinned as he ran forward, pushing himself off the ground and into the air with fire covering his feet. "Talons!" Natsu swung his leg in an axe-kick like fashion, slamming his foot into Marx's head. Marx rocketed into the rooftop after the hit, but before he actually hit the rooftop, magic balloons appeared and cushioned his fall. Natsu landed, giving one of his most annoyed expressions. "You can't be serious…!"
"Don't underestimate me." Marx said as his childish tone began to diminish. He knew it was time to go when he was getting done playing around. "Lucky for you, I've got to go. While you were dealing with me, Marta got away with Lucy."
"You're not going anywhere!" Natsu roared while sprinting forward.
"Hehe, too slow." Marx chuckled while throwing his hand down, creating a large explosion of smoke.
"Gah…!" Natsu stopped his tracks, coughing from the smoke. He attempted to sniff out Marx, Marta, or Lucy, but the smoke messed with his sense of smell, reducing it to one of a normal person. "My nose…!" And when the smoke cleared, Marx was gone.
.
.
"I wonder what happened over there…" Marlene said as she and Saeko saw the smoke from the other side of town.
"Something bad…" Saeko replied. "I suggest we hurry and finish our shopping before we get caught too…"
"Okay, just wait right here!" Marlene said as she joyfully ran into the store nearby.
After Marlene ran into the store, Saeko turned to look over her shoulder. "You don't have to keep hiding anymore. I know you're there."
A teenage girl (probably around 15 or 16) with black hair, red eyes, and matching black shirt and skirt walked out of the shadows, giving a slight applause. "Well, well…you saw me coming?"
"I know you were tailing Marlene and I the whole time…" Saeko replied. "And I know what it is you want, Wizard Hunter Yumia."
"…You know more than I thought you would…" Yumia said while placing her pointer finger on her chin. "So I guess it's safe to say that you are the walking fortune cookie?"
"You could call me that," Saeko replied before turning around completely. "If you leave Marlene alone, I'll go without resistance."
"How sweet!" Yumia clapped her hands together in a kawaii fashion. "But I'm afraid I can't do that…"
"Then you leave me no choice…" Saeko said as her tone became completely serious. Before Saeko could do anything however, a small explosion occurred in the store behind her, and pink smoke started to leak out of the open windows and cracked doors. "Oh no…!"
Another girl looking identical to Yumia (but with green eyes instead of red) walked out, holding a sleeping Marlene in her arms. "I got her!"
"Twins…" Saeko muttered to herself, now realizing what it was the stars were telling her earlier. "Yumia and Yukia…"
"Two halves of a whole~" Yumia cooed. "Now, come with us. You don't really have a say in the matter now~."
.
.
Diamond was out on a walk, a hood covering her face to hide her identity in case she ran into a legal guild member. She needed to think about some things, which is why she needed the isolation from Dealer for the time being. "Ugh…I can't believe what a mess this is turning out to be…" She wasn't conscious for long, as a strike hit the back of her head, causing her to fall to the ground with a thud.
A silhouette stood over the unconscious Diamond, giving a slight smirk. "Weveal made a good catch…The Wizard Hunters will be pleased with this. More food for Rajaron…"