NaLu: What Changed

★Chapter 32★

~Natsu's P. O. V. ~

I yanked my wrist out of his grip. "You...you disappeared." I sputtered. "I didn't. I was here all along." Zeref said smoothly. "But, dear brother," he smirked, "you're about to be even more shocked." "If this is about Haru, save it. I know about him trying to take over Father's company." I snapped. "But you don't know about this." Zeref's grin widened, and tossed me a phone. I stared as a video played. Gray appeared by my side in a second.

I could not take my eyes off the screen.

Multiple tranquilizer darts were heading straight for Lucy. She quickly dodged, but one dug into her arm. As she let out a strangled squeak and tried to call my name, the same arm was impaled with more darts. She slowly lost consciousness. Haru grabbed her and threw her over the railing. "LUCY" Gray and I shouted involuntarily. She dropped down, down, down, and eventually was caught in a large sack.

Haru smiled satisfyingly and spun heel to hop over the railing, but that's when our footsteps could be heard. He immediately grabbed a couple of darts and pricked his skin to make it look like he was shot, then lay down to pretend he was unconscious.

Son of a bitch.

I gritted my teeth and hurled the phone towards the wall, hearing a satisfying smack as it bounced off the concrete and into the inferno. Sizzles and crackles fed my growing desire to toss Haru in the flames and watch him burn.

"If you don't explain right now, I swear to God, I will make sure no trace of you is found on this earth." I threatened.

"When Haru vanished, many years ago, I made it my mission to find him. I searched everywhere, and even left the house after stealing a few grand from Father. When I finally caught sight of him in Hargeon after four years, I was so relieved. Happy. He was, too. He came bounding towards me and hugged me tightly. 'I'm so glad you came to find me. I missed you and Natsu-nii and Papa and Mama,' he had said. My heart ached to tell him the truth that you bastards gave up on him and I was the only one, but I did. He got so angry after that. We both swore to gain enough power to steal everything from you, just like Haru had everything taken from him when he went missing and his so-called family gave up on finding him." Zeref smirked, retelling in low tones.

"Damn right," Haru appeared at the metal doors, grinning evilly with Yuuhi molded to his side, him supporting her. "Fuck you." I seethed. He grinned and allowed Yuuhi to rest against the wall of the entrance as he sauntered in.

"After that big talk, which frankly neither of us cared about, especially me, you are missing the point. Where the fuck is my sister. Tell me. Now." Gray gritted his teeth and glared. "She's where you're gonna go." Zeref smiled insanely and raised the gun to his head.

Bang.

~Lucy's P. O. V. ~

The resounding gunshot penetrated the erratic flow of questions in my head. I took a deep breath and started struggling with the knots, the adrenaline rushing away the slight drowsiness. My new found strength managed to pry the dead knots open and I shrugged off the ropes, groaning while trying to stretch my stiff numb muscles. I dropped to the ground and did forty before leaving the room. At least I felt worked out now.

Shouts and ungraceful battle shoves and grunts and the inevitable squeak of sneakers as they grappled on the floor assisted me in finding the source of the sounds. I sprinted there, hoping to reach there in time. I had a pretty good idea of what was happening by now.

As I approached the room came my first obstacle.

Yuuhi, with her plastic pocket of painkillers, a bandage that reeked of medicinal oil and a handgun in her right grip. "Hey hun." She said smoothly. I backstepped, and then burst forward, attempting to come at her at quarter speed (cuz I was cocky like that) and kick the gun out of her hand, then back trust and slam my foot on her face. But while I was running, she already started shooting at an inhumane speed, firing bullet after bullet. I had to spring off the ground in the general direction the bullets were heading to before I got shot in the head. When I finally got to her, I ran past her and spun, kicked her back and sent her sprawling. The gun slipped and hit the wall, useless.