The front entryway opened into a long, narrow hallway that seemed to split into several rooms as they went down. To the initial left was a door that probably led to a random room. To the right, a set of stairs led up to the second floor. If Cobra had more brain space for his own thoughts at that moment, he undoubtedly would have raced up the stairs immediately. Instead, all he did was stare at the familiar yet unfamiliar woman in front of him.
She wore a similar outfit to what she had on the day they met. A top with an animal pattern on it, covering only her chest down to her belly button, leaving her toned arms bare. She had on a skirt, shorter than the one last time, but still loose and flowing, splitting into fronds halfway down. Sharp gray eyes scanned the crowd gathered in front of her, reminding Cobra again of a predator examining prey. He hoped he was imagining the slightly longer pause she gave when looking over him.
"U-Um, excuse me." A voice squeaked out. Cobra turned in horror to see Lucy push past him to stand at the front. "We're sorry to intrude but we need to speak with, er, the man upstairs? We don't want to fight if that's an option."
Zeref. He should have predicted she'd try and do this. He had a feeling the other woman wouldn't be much in terms of conversation.
Surprisingly, he thought he saw a flash of pain in her eyes. Then she closed them and reopened, the emotion gone. Only the cold logic of an animal remained. "We don't want to either. But we will. We'll stop you, starting…" She changed her stance, arms going out, posture charged. Cobra sensed magic building up within her. In a panic, he realized that her eyes were still locked on Lucy.
"…with you!" She sprang, her body moving much faster than any normal human. Right. Towards. Lu–
In an instant, she pivoted with one foot, springing to the leftmost of them, kicking straight up in the spot Macbeth stood.
He dodged, thankfully, his teammate's body a blur. Macbeth must have put up his reflector magic on instinct. He flickered back into view and glared at his attacker. The woman had no eyes now for anyone but him.
Cobra put an arm on Lucy's shoulder. She flinched, looking up at him, her eyes blinking rapidly. He gestured towards the stairs. She bit her lip but nodded. The two of them started upstairs.
He looked back and saw Mirajane a half-step behind them, looking at Macbeth as they moved upward. He wasn't sure if Macbeth noticed the gesture as the three of them disappeared up the stairs.