Lucy's scent is all over this place.
It invades my nose and distracts me from everything else.
I shake my head and look back in front of me from my spot on top of a short building.
Nothing.
The streets are still completely empty even after an hour or so.
A noise comes from right beside me and I glance over at Happy, who had let out a tiny snore. I roll my eyes and look back in front of me.
Great. Thanks for the help, Happy.
I rest my chin onto my hand and let out a breath of air.
I wonder how it's going for Erza and Gray. I'm sure they aren't bored.
I sigh and lift my gaze up to the sky, where the stars shine bright.
And what about Lucy?
What's she doing right now?
I wonder where she's staying. With a friend? Alone? At an inn? At her own house?
I want to go look for her, to say something to her...anything. I want her to know that I exist and not just as the person from the restaurant three years ago.
"This is it!"
My body perks up at the sound and my eyes quickly look towards the street.
"Do you have the key?"
They talk in loud whispers only heard because of my heightened senses.
"I dropped it."
Three of them. All of them are guys.
The one who said he dropped it shrugs and the other two whisper angrily at him to which he shakes his head.
"Don't worry. This way is more fun anyway."
My lip curls up in distaste.
I don't like that guy.
My eyes squint to try to make out what he's doing as all of them go silent and the other two back up.
His arm changes, shiny silver starting to glide up his hand to his shoulder. The entirety of his right arm gets encased in metal.
Transformation magic maybe?
He walks up to the window of the shop and the sound of glass ensues as he breaks through it with ease.
Uh oh.
I extend my arms and push my torso up.
Erza's gonna kill me...
Time to go, Natsu!
I glance at Happy before shrugging.
Looks like he's getting an unearned pay check after this job.
I stand to my feet and jump down from the building and onto the street with ease. I'm far enough away that they don't hear me and they're all preoccupied with the shop to look over and see me.
I push off on one foot to start running down the street to get to the middle of all of the action but before I can even take more than a few steps something wraps around my hand and causes me to fall backwards with a great force. My back slams against the cement, causing the air to burst out of my chest.
Without wasting any time I'm up on my feet and scanning the area around me cautiously, the pain fading away.
A line of buildings is on my left and on the right is the start of the forest, with trees in every viewable spot.
I listen and wait for anything. A movement. A sound.
The tap of a foot step travels to my ear as quickly as it happens and my fists ignite in flames while I run into the trees where the sound wasn't too far off.
I stop and circle around me wildly, no proof of another person.
I can't hear anything either.
Am I going crazy?
My fists lower to my side.
It could have been a squirrel or something...but something grabbed onto me. Something caused me to fall to the ground and it wasn't nothing.
I sit and wait. They won't be able to move without me hearing it so we're both stuck here until they show themselves.
Ugh...
I don't like these types of fighters. I've never been good with the ones who hide in the shadows and tread lightly...the ones who calculate every move.
My irritation spikes and my fists tighten at my sides while I listen.
My head whips around as I pick up on the slightest sound of rustling to my right, a sound a normal person wouldn't have heard at all, and only more trees greet me.
My eyes watch closely for any sign of movement. I slowly walk towards the bunch of trees when a shadow moves from the corner of my eyes. I act quick and fire flies towards it. It explodes into the tree sending lit ash all around until it slowly fades back into darkness, the person already long out of the way.
I growl in annoyance.
"Get out here!"
Silence ensues, the person making no move to come out of the shadows.
The fire grows up my arms as my anger ignites and when I hear a rustling from behind me I act quick and there are flames going into the darkness. They light their way and the only thing that they connect with are the barks of the trees and some grass. The flames explode into the trees, sparks getting sent into the grass and the brush all around. The flames burn for a moment before fading away and leaving black spots on the ground where they had traveled.
My muscles tense angrily and I stand still, listening closely.
I'm going to get them.
They won't best me. I won't let them.
I can practically feel the person's smugness at my inability to get them.
Something whistles through the air and I turn my head just in time for a small object to smack me right in the face.
My eyes make their way to the ground to see a lone acorn sitting on the ground.
My teeth clench. The veins on my arm pop as my muscles tighten. I lift my head in the direction the acorn came and the sweat on my forehead sizzles off as the fire in me grows with my anger.
I yell out of fury and run while sending my fist punching in front of me, causing flames to explode out into the area. Everything in front of me lights up in flames, everything that's visible burning into ash.
I snap out of my anger and bite my lip at the damage in front of me. Tens of trees are burnt. All of the leaves disintegrating as they fall to the ground.
I look around me while the entire area is illuminated in light. Nothing but the empty forest greets my gaze. The flames start to die out and still nothing.
I sniff the air around me and curse under my breath. Nothing but Lucy's scent has been with me every time I walk outside and I can't seem to get past it.
I walk to the forest's edge and back onto the street. As soon as I do my mouth drops and I break off into a run towards the shop.
They're gone!
I stop in front of the broken window, glass littered across the ground. The room is completely dark and lifeless. It's in complete disarray with broken items all over the floor and shelves knocked over. I'm sure anything valuable is gone as well.
Not only did they steal from them but they destroyed everything else along with it...
My fists tighten at my sides.
Those damn people!
I halt, my eyes widening.
That person from the forest was toying with me...
It was a distraction...They were just trying to keep me busy while they robbed that shop!
"Dammit!"
I curse under my breath.
They knew there were wizards here. That person knew what they were doing from the get go.
Broken glass cracks under my feet as I walk around the area the three guys were a few minutes ago.
Whoever it was in the forest made me so angry I forgot all about them...and they knew it.
"God dammit!"
I kick some of the glass on the ground. The shards slam into the wall and break apart into more pieces before falling back down.
I breathe heavily in anger.
I had one job. One!
I stop, my breathing halting.
A scent makes its way to my nose and a smirk grows on my face.
My feet break off into a run towards the smell.
If they think that they can get away from me that easily then they've got a surprise coming.