"Come on, Luce," the voice that belonged to her closest companion urged, "give me like five more minutes and I'll be done." Beside her, his onyx eyes blazed with a hopeful look, yet there was a hint of seriousness in the back of them as he ran a hand through his pink hair.
Lucy's lips quirked with amusement, knowing that "five minutes" in Natsu Dragneel's terms really meant something along the lines of "another few hours". Shaking her head, she told him, "Really, Natsu, I'll be fine. I promise." She smiled encouragingly and gave him a playful wink. He frowned, not looking convinced, and she held up her phone, wiggling it in his face. "See? I'll call you when I get home."
She could understand his concern, of course. It was nearing ten at night. It was dark enough to not notice shadows that shouldn't be there, and with the strange disappearances going on, it would have been smarter on her behalf to wait for at least the petite Levy McGarden to get done so that they could walk to their cars together.
But Lucy had promised to be home hours ago, and her father was all ready getting irritable about the matter. So she gave Natsu a firm look and poked his arm. "I'll be fine, Natsu."
He looked unsure, but nodded. "I guess if you're sure…" He ruffled her blonde hair, earning himself an agitated look. He only laughed and then pressed his forehead to hers in a brief touch. She softened. "Be careful, okay?"
"Okay," she murmured, reaching up to touch his cheek for a moment before turning away.
"Don't forget to call me when you get home!"
"I won't," she sighed, and then gave a final wave and slid from the doors at the back, not at all scared of the darkness of the night. She'd walked the streets with Natsu a thousand times growing up, and the stars felt more like friends than warning signs. Thanking the heavens for the lights, she made her way towards the parking lot. She caught sight of her truck - a gigantic silver machine that Levy hated her for - and unlocked it, crossing the road that allowed drop offs at the building.
At least she didn't park in the back like Gajeel. That would have been a pain in the ass.
Lucy was hauling herself into her truck when she noticed a car, driving slowly along that drop off road. She paused to give it an odd look. She knew all of the cars in the parking lot, every car that belonged to her group of friends, and that most certainly wasn't one of them-
It suddenly stopped and Lucy's unease grew. She hoisted herself into the driver's seat. It was a struggle, with the height of the truck, but she instantly felt better after closing the door. She reached for her keys, putting them in and twisting, and the truck started immediately.
Suddenly, she realized that the car had backed up. It was an SUV of some sort, and when she flicked her eyes up, she found herself looking into a man's dark eyes, staring at her through two car windows. Lucy's stomach plummeted in fear, and she snatched up her phone, locking the truck door as the SUV backed up some more before stopping. A man got out and Lucy checked her mirrors to see if anyone else was out.
As the man climbed out of vehicle, a chilling realization smacked her in the face. She checked the right side mirror and felt panic seize her. Somehow, it looked as if the wheel had been wrecked. The tire was shredded, the tire rim bent at an odd angle and the hubcap way too far back to be considered normal.
A tap on the window had her breath catching in her throat. Her head snapped up and the man stood there, tugging at her truck's door handle thoughtfully. Without hesitation, Lucy's phone was in her hand, the emergency number dialed and ringing.
The man scowled when she glared warningly and showed him through the window. He slammed on the window with both palms, and she shrieked. Nearly in tears when someone picked up, Lucy watched the man leave, going back to his car. Lucy rapidly fired off answers to the calm woman on the phone, her gaze flickering to the place she knew her friends were in.
