BROKEN AND BRUISED

CHAPTER 20

WARNING: THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS A LOT OF GORE, DEATH AND BLOOD.

Lucy felt the air suddenly thin as she got sucked in deeper and deeper into a pool of blood. She tried to hold her breath as much as she could and just as black spots started to form in her eyesight, a hole was formed beneath her and she fell face first onto a concrete floor.

She started sucking in breath at a rapid state while trying to get up. Once her breath stabilized and she was able to find her footing, Lucy looked around her only to see nothing.

It was pitch black from all sides of her. She cursed under her breath and wiped her face from the blood. Without the light she knew that she was drenched from head to toe in blood.

"So you finally grace us with your presence." A voice boomed in the room she was currently in that sent shivers down her spine. From his tone, Lucy knew that this man was anything but friendly.

A sound that came from behind made her whip her head back. Candles on both sides of the room started to lit up in a row. It bypassed her and continued till the end of the room where there were a few small steps leading to a golden throne.

The candles lit around the throne showing someone sitting on it. He laid his head on his palm as he stared amusingly at the woman before him.

"Lucy Lucky Heartfilia." He says as he gets up and opens his arms wide. "Welcome to my castle."

The blonde takes a step back. She reaches for her keys only to remember that they were taken from her.

He watches her intently and smirks when he sees the alarm on her face. "Don't worry love, I won't hurt you."

He walks down the path. "For you are an important tool to my victory."

He goes up to her. "But after that… well, there is no after."

Lucy sucked in a breath.

This close, she could finally see him well. The man had long wavy black hair that reached mid back, a pointy noise and a smirk that's showcasing his canines only accentuated to his deep red eyes. His eyes that screamed every kind of pain and torture that was reserved for the blonde. His pale skin made him look almost sickly if it wasn't for the power that was radiating from him.

He almost looked like a… vampire.

"I don't believe I need to tell you my name, do I sweetheart?" his voice that was laced with sweetness sent the blonde's stomach into a turmoil.

"J- Julian…" the blonde stuttered.

He gives her a small smile, almost seeming innocent. "That's a good girl." He reached for her cheek. "Now stay that way and it won't be a problem."

Fear shook the blonde to her core. She knew that the man before her was strong, even if his looks were deceiving. He probably used them to his advantage, she summarized. But even then, she couldn't just go with anything this man has planned, she should fight back.

That's what she kept telling herself over and over again, but her knees were wobbling. Her heart rate was picking up and her mind was bailing out on her. She didn't know just how to fight him, or even if she could. She was without her keys and only able to use Corvus. But even Corvus wouldn't get her far. She could use him to escape, but they finally got ahold of him and she didn't want to let that chance go.

Lucy widened her eyes. She promised Byro-san that she would continue fighting, that she would never give up. She trusts him and know that they are currently looking for her.

"I don't like that look on you." Julian says as he continues to caress her cheek. "Just surrender to you fate swee-"

He was able to block her kick and jump back to put some distance between them. He looks up at the blonde before him only to see void for eyes staring back at him. He smirks at her. "I truly don't recommend doing that. I'll give you another chance, stop now or you'll regret it later."

Lucy put out her hand before and started materializing a ball of shadows. "As if I'll bow down to your whims willingly."

His eyes started glowing as his smirk turned devilish. "We'll see about that."

Doors from all around the room started opening and people started filing out. Men, women, children were staring at Julian with their dull eyes. He turns to them and with a loud voice yells. "Surrender yourself to me and I shall bring you salvation."

They chorus in response. "For our savior." Before they take out a knife and slit their throats. Lucy watched in horror as their bodies drop to the ground one by one. She took a step back and stopped herself from vomiting, the stench of blood was overbearing.

"Wha- what the hell is wrong with you?" Lucy asked before she clasped a hand on her mouth and nose to prevent the smell from affecting her any further.

"What's wrong with me? Nothing." He snickers. "But, I can't say the same about them. Not my fault they believe my words."

"So you are fooling them with this salvation of yours?" Lucy looked at him with disgust.

He closes his eyes and shakes his head. "Oh no dear you are quite mistaken." He reopens his eyes and smirks. "I saved them from their pathetic lives didn't I?"

Lucy immediately lunged at him. "You sick fuck!"

He easily evaded her moves. "Careful dear, you wouldn't want to slip up and let me wound you." he disappears from her sight and she senses him behind her. "Because that would be most unfortunate for you."

His hot breath fanned on her ear before she turned her whole body and jumped away from him. She looked at him with pure horror as she couldn't even sense him till he was literally behind her. She sees him pointing at his cheek and shake his head.

With a shaky hand, Lucy touches her cheek only to feel an opening in her skin. She removed her hand and looked down to see it dripping with fresh blood. Looking back at him she noted the difference in his aura and retreated back to the shadows.

"If you think you are safe in there-" he says while looking at the spot where she disappeared. "You are quite mistaken. For once I cut someone, I can easily sense and find their whereabouts, even if they are in the depth of hell."

A shard of blood formed in his hand and was shot towards Lucy. It went through the shadows and zipped past her head, continuing its way into the abyss. 'He can even hurt me when I'm in the shadows!?' the blonde thought as she looked at the shard that was still going further and further down in the shadows. Her breath accelerates as she tries to come up with a plan to counter him or at least buy some time for when the rest arrive.

"Your plan won't work. No one will come to your aid. No one will reach you here. You will fulfill your job and then be ridden of, just like the rest of the villagers."

With every word he says Lucy starts to believe him more and more. She can't fight him, he is way too powerful and she is at a disadvantage with her keys being taken. So the best solution would be to escape and regroup.

She starts to slowly back away when she remembers something, the cut on her cheek. He will be able to follow her wherever she goes and they won't be able to ambush him if she was with them. Not only that, she could be putting them in danger so she wasn't going to risk it.

Just then she heard a creak coming from the other side of the room, she looks up to see Julian facing the noise.

"Oh~ what do we have here? A little mouse escaped her cage. Oh, but you are not a mouse are you? What do you call yourself? A saber?" he starts to laugh and Lucy could hear the intruder whimper.

"Please, please let me go." The woman begs.

He sighs and shrugs his shoulders. "I wouldn't need you if my current pet was being obedient but alas, she's being quite stubborn. So you're going to have to go back to your cage little kitty." He raised his hand and shot a spell forward resulting in knocking the girl out. Her scream of pain rang inside Lucy's head and when he moved she was able to see the girl.

White short hair, white clothes that were shredded. Lucy' eyes zeroed on her stomach before they widened. A Sabertooth mark lay on her bare abdomen.

Lucy emerges from the shadows and jumps next to the girl to check on her condition. She turns back to the man and glares. "What have you done to her?"

His gaze pierces hers before he smirks sinisterly her way. "Say, do you know this girl?"

Lucy sucks in a breath. She can't tell him the truth but that doesn't mean that she will stay quiet while he tortures this girl. "If I do or don't, that's none of your business."

"Oh~, so you do. Hmm, this might actually work out better like this." He looked deep in thought before he turned to the blonde, a look of craziness flashing through his eyes. "Maybe using her will bend you to my will."

"I will not let you hurt her." Lucy bristled.

"Darling please, don't talk as if you can do anything." He sighs before he clicks his fingers and the girl starts getting enveloped in blood. Just before she is completely covered she vanishes from his hold and so does the blond.

"So you take her in the shadows. Are you sure that's a good idea? I know that they can be quite… challenging and dangerous no?" he starts turning around in a circle inspecting all the places the shadow might be lurking in, he could feel the blonde but it doesn't necessarily mean that the other captive was with her.

"You know who you remind with?" he let a bit of silence filter in before he continued. "Your father. Same determination in your eyes, and the same desire to protect those you love. How unfortunate it is that he got scammed and thrown away yes? My guild mates had a blast in setting the hotel he was staying in on fire."

Lucy appeared right behind him and went for a kick that was easily blocked. "You my dear, are quite predictable and easy to fool." He laughs as he launches several arrows of sharp crystallized blood her way. "You can't block them this close can you?"

The blonde widened her eyes as she took a step back. Time slowed as she saw almost a dozen arrow going her way, she started falling on her back when she slipped on some blood and noticed how they were following her movements. She closed her eyes and prayed for this to work. Opening them again a sliver of gold shone in them before a magic circle appeared under her and a portal opened up taking the blonde and the arrows with her before closing.

Julian sat there with a flabbergasted look on his face. "What the fuck just happened?"

He barely had time to react when he sensed a rupture in space behind him and turned at the right second to see another portal opening with the blonde falling right before him and the arrows that were directed at her became targeted at him since he was in the same direction as the blonde.

"Shit!" with a swish of his hand the arrows disappeared. He looked down at the blonde to see her wheezing and trying to catch a breath.

His eyes widen when he realizes what happened. "This is your first time using this spell isn't it? And since it's your first, you're not used to its side effects."

He shakes his head in disapproval. "How dumb must you be to do that in the middle of battle? Oh well you made it easier on me." He looks up and sees the other girl laying on the floor in the corner. His gaze goes back to Lucy to see that she was back in her normal attire and her eyes closed.

"Ran out of magic power. Well, who am I to complain?" he picks the blonde up and goes into another room. He clicks on a button and the room lights up.

In front of him stood the infinity clock. He brought the blonde to the clock and put her in the glassy front part before she started to slowly get sucked in it.

"Sweet dreams love."

He then went and brought the other girl and threw her in a corner.

After he was done with her, Julian sat in front of a large wall that had dozens of monitors. He taps a crystal and the monitors light up, he starts moving the crystal making the monitors change the location they are showcasing every time before he stopped on one location. The house right above his underground castle that had all the villagers left residing in it, embracing themselves for the fight that was to come.

"Now then, show me what you got little lab rats."

"You won't get away with this." Croaked a voice from behind.

Julian sighs before he turns to the blonde. "If you are talking about your family coming, I am counting on that. You see these villagers will fight to the death if ordered by me and I am sure your little group won't kill them right? All I need is for them to buy me time, and when your family is done with the villagers and happy that they were able to subdue them without killing them, I'll kill the villagers just because. Your family will be so mortified, unable to move from their place and then they will die too, by their own hands. And you will be the cause."

Lucy grits her teeth as she opens one eye and shuts the other from pain. "I won't allow it. I-"

"Promise?" he goes up to her and shakes his head. "You are horrible my dear…" he gets closer to her face. "You know you shouldn't make promises that you can't keep."

He smirks as he sees orange filtering in her eyes. "Well, soon you won't be conscious to make any. You'll only be a machine that will turn the world on itself."

XXX

Jellal was running next to Byro when he started asking him questions.

"What can you tell us about their boss?"

Byro sighed. "He goes by the name Julian and uses an ancient forgotten magic called blood magic."

Gasps run across the newcomers. "Blood magic? What does it do?" Ultear inquired fearing for her sister that was currently was this monster.

"It's an old magic that lets you control blood and bend it to your will. Not only that, but it was said that the user needed only to cut their opponents for them to be able to have complete control over their opponents' body." Byro explained.

"What do you mean?" Jellal looked at Byro with wide eyes.

"I mean that if Lucy was cut, he can suck her body dry out of blood. He can control her body however he likes." Byro kept looking ahead of him.

"WHAT?!"

"He could kill her in an instant?" Meredy asked with tears forming in her eyes.

"Yes he could but we must remember that he needs her for the infinity clock so he won't kill her." Byro continued running without looking their way.

"No he won't kill her, but the clock will." Jellal summarized. Finally, Byro looks at him.

"How did you know?"

"I did some reading before and I know of the clock, but I never encountered blood magic."

Byro exhales. "That's because it's a taboo subject, all manuscripts and tomes regarding this subject has been taken to the church and kept hidden in the library."

"So what can you tell us more of this magic type?" Ultear asks.

"That it has a weakness. The caster cannot use their own blood, they need someone else' if they wish to launch an attack and if they weren't able to cut their enemy. From that aspect I thought we are good." Byro answers.

"But we aren't." Jellal intervenes. "Because he has an entire village at his disposal."

"Exactly." The man nods.

"We need to hurry and find our sister." Sorano comments before they continue in silence.

They arrive at a big clearing with a house located in the middle of it. Jellal scans the area before he turns to the others. "I don't feel any magical power coming from that house, nor do I sense traps whatsoever." He looks up at the sky when he feels a drop of water land on his face, he sees the clouds forming and couldn't help but wonder how this is a perfect setting for the misery he feels right now.

"Indeed, it looks like a normal house and that's why we should be suspicious." Byro furrows his brows as he calls out to Dan. "This is the house you mentioned?"

"Yes." Dan nods.

Byro looks at Jellal and the rest of his group. "Your priority is your sister while our priority is the clock, that much is clear. We will not interfere with your objectives so don't interfere with ours. But to get to them, we need each others help. From that aspect, are we good?"

"Very." Jellal answers.

"Good, then let's go."

They walk slowly to the house and go up to the door. Ultear takes a deep breath before she knocks on the door. A few seconds pass and no answer comes from the other side.

Byro readies himself to bust the door open and just as he did Jellal widens his eyes. "Wait!"

It was too late. Armed men and women glare down at the group from all around the house. They readied their weapons and were about to shoot when a voice stopped them.

"Enough!"

They all turned to an elder lady sitting in a wheelchair. "Enough…" she said quieter.

"These are wizards, weapons won't do anything on them. And even if it did, have you not had enough of following that madman?" the elderly spoke softly.

"Have we not sacrificed enough for him? And what did it get us? More graves to dig that's what."

"Chief Raja, but it is our destiny!" one the man yelled.

"If your destiny is to die following a monster so be it, but it isn't mine. It isn't my family's." she closed her eyes before slowly reopening them. "I see that my message of help reached you."

"Message of help?" Jellal questioned.

Chief Raja takes a deep breath before she answers. "The man that goes by the name Julian sent out a request as a trap for a certain blonde, when I found out about that I made sure to send another one detailing how much this village lost and the damage that was caused."

"It's what made it rank up to S-class." Sawyer looked at Jellal who nodded.

"Ma'am, do you know where this blonde is now?" Jellal asked.

"Chief Raja, what are you doing? You are betraying the man who saved us from the plague that threatened our village years ago?!" one the woman raged.

The elder put up her hand. "I kept quiet all this time but look where it led us. How many of you have lost dearly beloved to serve that monster's magic? How many of you? If you are so foolish as to let your loved ones perish like that then so be it. But I refuse to let my village suffer anymore." She starts crying softly. "I refuse to let him get away with my daughter's murder."

She turned to her people. "He took advantage of us in our time of need, he let us believe that he was doing what was good for us. But none of you know the monster that lies behind his kind smile? Only I do, and I did when my daughter fell in love with him. I did when I saw her body being sucked of blood so he could kill a monster that attacked him. I did…"

She looks at Jellal. "Child, I saw him take a girl with white hair to the basement, the blonde must also be there. The entrance is from the back. Go, before you are too late."

"Thank you Ma'am." They start running to the back without a second look.

"Chief Raja." A man holding a spear stood in front of the elderly.

"If you want to kill me dear, do so and end me of this misery. For I have failed this village, and most of all I have failed my daughter." She looks away in shame. "It won't matter anyway…" she says as she looks out the window at the storm that was raging, a light shone in the sky that was coming closer to the house. " A shooting star… it's nice to see one before I go." She breathes in one last time before lighting cackles outside the house.

It dies down leaving behind it the soft patter of the rain, and the countless bodies inside the house. Blood pooled on the floor before it was sapped in tiny holes to the lower level.

XXX

Sorano stops her in tracks once the vibration stops. "What the fuck was that? It sounded like an explosion."

Coco looked back at the way they came in. "I don't know, but it can't be good."

They continue running forward. Jellal casts a final look back at the entrance before he grits his teeth. 'Just hang on Lu.'

XXX

"And who the fuck are you?" Julian asks enraged as he looks at the broken roof and the mess around him, not to mention the fact that he got hurt when this creature came crashing through the roof sending him to the other side of the room and the fact that the village betrayed him.

He didn't answer, all he did was stand in front of the clock. Half his figure was shadowed but Julian could clearly see his arm that was rising before it turned to a fist and smashed the clock' frontal part. Lucy was falling before he immediately caught her and gently laid her on the ground.

"What the fuck is wrong with you? Why did you break it? How did you break it you fucking asshole-"

He was met with a feral growl as an answer. Through the shadows Julian could see the cackling of lighting dancing on the man's bulk of a body.

"You… what are you?" Julian asks as he takes a step back.

The man started taking a few steps into the light. The first thing Julian saw is the canines on this man that were bared at him, the next was his blond hair that was electrified because of his immense power. Then were his eyes, but he wasn't looking into the eyes of a human, he was looking into the eyes of a monster that was prepared to rip him to shreds, the yellow dilated pupils with a lightning shaped scar running over his right eye.

He saw the beast hunch down and take a deep breath. Julian took a step back. "What the fuck?"

"LIGHTNING DRAGON ROAR!"

A torrent of lightning was coming Julian' way causing him to widen his eyes. He looked around on the floor only to see that the previous blood was dried out because of this beast's aura.

"Fuck it!" he took out a device and pressed a button. The villagers that he was holding in the house all drop dead and air ventilation open in the floor to let the blood seep to his level. He was able to barely evade it with the few drops of blood that came from the top floor.

"What the fuck are you and why are you here?" this time he was met with a fist to the face. He crashed into the wall and was barely able to breathe before he was hit with another fist. The sheer force behind the punch boggled his mind, he couldn't keep his eyes open and couldn't concentrate. He took a deep breath and shouted just before the next fist connected. "Blood wall!"

A wall of blood appeared right before him and prevented the fist from connecting to his face. He took a deep breath and was able to recollect his thoughts before gritting his teeth. "You fucking asshole, you ruined everything. I will make sure that each and every one of you pay, starting from the blonde bitch and ending with-"

A hand broke through the wall and grabbed his windpipe. He stood struggling to the beast's hold on his neck. He thrashed at his hand with his claws before he swished his hand and blood started forming on the beast's hand.

Blood that was quickly evaporated when the beast lit his hand with lightning. "Just ack-… how strong… are you?"

The blood wall disappeared revealing behind it a smirking dragon slayer. His eyes help no compassion to the man before him, in contrast. He was enjoying this man's agony. The look of despair on this man's face was making his pride swell, but it was his previous words and actions that made his rage erupt.

He will start from the blonde bitch?

As if he could let that man live after what did to his mate.

He brought his face close to him, watching with pleasure the life getting snuffed out from him.

"Laxus…"

A soft voice made its way to his ears quickly snapping him awake.

"That's enough now, let him be."

He immediately dropped the man on the floor that he now realized was starting to turn blue and is unconscious.

"Thank you." she circled her hands around him from behind and laid her head on his back. "Thank you so much for saving me."

The lightning that was cackling around him died down to not hurt the blonde. He stood still letting her lean her weight on him.

The rage that he was feeling subsided and was replaced by a feeling of calmness. He felt something wet on his back and heard her sniffles. "I failed. I failed to protect the villagers haven't I? A lot of people died because I was weak-"

Lucy quieted down. The feel of his hand that was softly holding both of hers calmed her racing heart. "Thank you…" she quietly says before her legs gave out and she collapsed. He gently laid her on her back and sat next to her to keep watch of her.

Moments later, Meredy comes running into the room. "Nee-san? Nee-san? Where are you?" she looks over at the mess and sees the amount of blood splashed everywhere in the room. "Where are you?" she hiccups as she moves forward into the room. "Don't speculate." She whispers to herself. "Nothing is true until you see it."

Meredy gasps when her eyes meet grey ones with lightning swirling in them. "Laxus-san?"

His eyes flicker to the body laid out before him. Meredy follows his line of vision before erupting in tears. "Nee-san!" she quickly rushes to her side but softly assess Lucy' body when she hears the growl coming from the lightning dragon slayer.

She gets up and runs to the door. "Everyone, I found her. She is in this room." Then she goes back to her sister but stops dead in her tracks when she sees the monitors on the wall.

Her eyes widen when she sees the dead bodies of the people they were just talking to. "W- what …" she stumbles backwards and lands on her bottom. "W- why- what…" she clutches her head, mortified with the savagery showing on the screen. They were going to save Lucy and then help the villagers, no one said anything about it but no one had to. It was a silent agreement, but now the villagers are-.

A hand covered her eyes and brought her into their embrace. "I'm here Meredy, I'm here." She clung to Ultear and cried her eyes out.

Jellal comes running into the room. "What the hell happened here?"

Sorano sidles next to him. "I don't know, but there is a lot of destruction and we need to-" Her eyes land on a lump in the corner. The breath gets caught in her throat.

"Sorano?" Jellal looks at her frightened face. He follows her line of vision and widens his eyes.

Just then Sorano sprints to the lump and sits next to her. "Please, please be alive." She caresses her cheek as she cries. "Please be alive Yukino."

Sorano removes the rubble off of her before gathering Yukino in her arms. A small smile forms on her face before she lets out a breath of relief. "She's still breathing."

Byro comes in and quickly takes command. "Everyone, gather all the wounded in here and take them out of here, I fear this place will crumble soon."

Quickly they gathered Yukino and Julian before turning to Lucy. There they stood still. Jellal and the group only now realized that Laxus was there.

"Laxus…" Jellal whispered.

Laxus kept staring at them, his eyes devoid of any emotion whatsoever.

Jellal nods his head. "I understand."

"Understand what?" Sawyer asked.

"This isn't Laxus that is in control. It's his dragon. That's why he hasn't said anything yet. Don't forget that we are still in dragon mating season, he must have sensed that Lucy was in danger and came to her rescue." Jellal explained. He then crouches in front of her. "Can we get her out of here?"

Ever so slowly, Laxus nods. Jellal gently picks her up and walks off to the door. He looks back only to see that Laxus disappeared from the room. He sighs before continuing his walk.

XXX

The loud train whistle woke the blonde up. She slowly opens her eyes and looks around her.

In alarm she sits up and was about to get out of bed when pain shoots across her whole body. She gasps as she grips her shirt right above her heart feeling as if it might just explode.

A hand that she didn't even register was touching her slowly guide her back down. "Easy."

The blonde, now taking slower breaths, looks up through her misty eyes at the person before her. "U-Ultear?"

The time arc mage nods before she hands Lucy some water. "I know, you want to know what happened and I'll tell you, but rest easy okay?"

Lucy nods her head as she drinks the water.

"The villagers are all dead."

The cup in Lucy' hands still.

"The fucker had implanted small bombs in their necks that explode when the detonator is activated, and it was."

Lucy sat silent as she listened to Ultear. "We retrieved all of their bodies and buried them with the help of Lahar and his goons. They arrived when everything was over and done with… Huh, typical."

The time arc mage looks at the blonde before continuing. "There was nothing we can do to save them. We didn't know about this fact and that's that."

Lucy looks down on her lap and starts sniffling. "W-what about Julian?"

"Lahar took him after he was rendered unconscious by…" Silence ensued between them both before Lucy looked at Ultear with tears flowing down her face.

"By who?"

Ultear recalls back to the conversation she had with Jellal concerning this subject.

"I believe it is better if we don't mention Laxus and check first if he remembers what he did, so to not put them in an awkward situation."

"It doesn't matter, what matters is this: Julian implanted tiny crystals that explode in those villagers necks after he manipulated them into following him. We found evidence that the crystals would explode after 10 hours of being injected in the human body and that removing them without care would instantly kill them. He planned ahead for the fight that was going to happen, this sick bastard!" she grits her teeth. "Not only that, but they were never really cured from the plague the Chief mentioned."

"The plague?"

"Yes. The village was run over by a plague years ago, and it was thought by most to have perished. That's why no one believed there was a village there. Julian came one day and he 'cured' them as the villagers believed, since he was a doctor they took his words by heart. But he didn't, he was conducting experiments on them the whole time so he could unlock a new thing in his magic. He believed that if the blood he was using was poisoned, he could take advantage of the poison in it and make his attacks deadlier. That's why he kept the poison in their blood to a minimum in a manner that won't kill them directly, but let them erode through time until they are…" Ultear grits her teeth. "Fermented, as his research said. Then the poison in them will be potent enough to kill anything that gets splashed on with their blood."

Lucy sat there, digesting all the information that was just thrown at her.

"Th-there was another girl there." Lucy said softly.

Ultear sighed. "Yes, Yukino. It turns out she was Sorano' younger sister and that he was holding her captive in case the device rejected you. He killed all the other celestial mages that weren't compatible."

The blonde stays quiet. She looks down on her lap and whispers to Ultear. "I wish to be left alone, thank you for telling me everything Ul."

"Lucy-"

"Please. Just leave me be."

Ultear sighs and leaves the room.

Lucy brings her knees together and cries her eyes out, thinking about how she failed everyone in that village.