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Hey. This is my first ever Fairy Tail fic.



Although this is a NatZa fic, do not expect pure fluff or romance. This is a story of two broken people meeting under very unpleasant circumstances, who later on find out more about each other and without noticing feel the need to be close to each other. Expect to watch their relationship build itself in future chapters.

Do not expect to see harem elements either.

Do forgive me if this story seems to be overused or looks copied - I've read only a couple of FT stories. But for now - I hope you enjoy Chapter 1. Please, do let me know what you think in reviews. I can take criticism, but make sure to keep it polite and ripe with advice.



This story is rated M for violence, occasional language and adult themes.

November 16th X784, Magic Council HQ, Era



Cursing in his mind for the tenth time this day, Makarov Dreyar sighed tiredly and rubbed his burning eyes. He deeply regretted not retiring when he had the chance. If he knew he'd have to sit through this, his grandson Laxus would've been the Master by now.

An unusual Council meeting was currently taking place. Councilmen, Military Commanders, Guild Masters and several Wizard Saints sat together by one table. Upon receiving the letter all of them arrived tense, not sure what to expect. Such official and enormous meeting hasn't happened in years.

"Now that we've finally agreed on the matter of upcoming Grand Magic Games, let us get to the last and most important topic of this meeting." said Council's Chairman, Gran Doma from his high seat. "As most of you have probably figured out, I have not summoned you all just to discuss the Grand Magic Games, and next year's guild funds."

Makarov straightened himself in his chair and looked around the meeting hall. All the seemingly tired and irritated mages focused on the Chairman, clearly curious. His sheer presence was something unusual, let alone in a meeting with this many high ranked members present at once.

"This issue has been a hidden thorn in not only the Council's side, but the entire magic world. The time has come to rip it out and burn without trace."

Previously curious Councilors now started whispering among each other, clearly confused. Makarov looked away from the Chairman and frowned - what could possibly be so important to make the usually calm Chairman speak so offensively?

"The matter I wish to discuss is the rogue mage, "Salamander"." finally announced the elder.

The whispers turned into several loud discussions, as mass confusion consumed the meeting hall. Some members nodded in approval, but majority of present mages never heard of said "rogue mage". Makarov raised an eyebrow, and in the corner of his eye he noticed his old friend Yajima sigh heavily in defeat. Old Master heard rumors about this youngster, however he never considered his person to be important enough to have an entire meeting dedicated to himself.

The Chairman struck his staff into the floor several times, gaining the attention of distracted mages, as silence fell in the hall once again.

"I understand your confusion. It is not a matter we wished to speak about openly. Up until recently his existence was not important enough to be discussed on an official meeting. But recently that has changed, and the impact this man has struck on the magic world in recent months, as well as his crimes committed throughout the years have grown far too big to be left ignored."

Silence fell in the hall, as all mages listened to the Chairman.

"Head of the 4th Custody Enforcement Unit, Lahar, will give us a report of this issue. Lahar, please step out."

A man with black hair and round glasses stood up from his chair and bowed to the Chairman.

"Thank you, Chairman. Before we begin, I'd like to apologize to all of you present here in advance. The reports I am about to read may appear to be confusing and out of place. I will do my best to answer all of your potential questions. Thank you for your patience."

He opened his notebook, cleared his throat and began to read.

"The person I am about to speak of is a rogue mage, who goes by the nickname "Salamander". His real name remains unknown. He appears to not belong to any guild, be it dark, or legal. Under normal circumstances he'd be rendered as an independent mage, however the proof we have gathered over past years suggests otherwise. His main target are Dark Guilds. He tracks them and destroys without a trace. His victims are usually left crippled, scarred, or in worst cases, dead. However, despite his violent behavior, he does not appear to be completely lethal. His actions have a certain-"

"I'm sorry, but what is so "confusing" about this?" A short Councilman interrupted Lahar, clearly irritated. "Do you think we're stupid enough to not understand a simple report? What you're describing is a typical dark mage, do you think of us as fools, boy?"

"My apologies, Master Michello, however, if you waited for couple seconds longer, you would've known why it is so confusing." answered Lahar.

Michello clicked his tongue in annoyance.

"Continue, Lahar." said Chairman.

"Yes, sir."

Lahar adjusted his glasses and started to read the rest.

"As I was saying, his actions create a weird pattern. He tracks a guild down, destroys it and then calls for our Military, usually fleeing the scene before our arrival. That is the reason we have no information on his appearance. We've interrogated several captured mages, and their testimonies all come down to three things: he's male, he uses fire magic and covers his entire body, including his face, in clothing. He comes without warning, destroys the guild, calls the Military, and leaves without leaving a trace. Even our best trackers could never pick his trail. He's seemingly invisible."

"How can we be sure he's not in one of the Dark Guilds? They always fight among each other." asked Councilman Yuri.

"My men have encountered him two times, once catching him by pure luck right after his attacks. Upon engaging him in battle, he told them that he does not wish to fight them, and fled the scene."

"Maybe he's just weak? Dark Guilds are usually made out of the weakest mages, who are heavily inferior to our Military." said Michello mockingly.

"With all due respect Michello, I don't think a weak mage would be capable of destroying entire guilds on his own." thrown in Belno.

"It's just as Master Belno said." answered Lahar, his tone sounding more serious. "Three months ago, a terrible accident happened in a village near Magnolia. I'm sure you have all heard about it on a meeting."

"Yes, we have. If I'm not mistaken, Master Makarov's guild was the one to provide first aid to injured villagers." said Jura Neekis, looking at Makarov for confirmation.

"Yes, it's true." answered Makarov "My brats were coming back from a mission. Although when they got there, the village was already in ruins and witnesses were too shocked and injured to relay what happened."

"But we do." thrown in Lahar, adjusting his glasses. "Said village was one of the hideouts of Oracion Seiss. They kept their identities secret and used it as one of their bases of operation, living with the villagers in peace. Salamander tracked them and engaged them in battle. Our source claims to have seen Salamander fight three members at once, before both sides fled the scene."

The Council members gasped in shock. The defeat of Oracion Seiss required an alliance of 4 guilds, including a Wizard Saint. To hold his own against three members at once...

Jura stood up from his seat and slammed his hands into the desk.

"Forgive my insolence Lahar, but your source must be wrong. I have seen these mages in action with my own eyes. There is no way one person could have fought three of these skilled mages on their own!"

"I understand your feelings, Saint Jura, but I am in no position of questioning my source. Their data is always correct." retorted Lahar.

"If all of this is true, we have to take action." said Yuri. "If he decides to turn against us, he may turn out to be a tremendous foe."

"Two months ago, we successfully predicted one of his attacks. Although at first unwilling, once we pressured him hard enough, he engaged my unit in battle. He defeated 50 men in a matter of minutes. I'm afraid there is not a single soldier in our army capable of arresting him." said Lahar.

A heated discussion erupted in the hall, compelling arguments being thrown left and right.

"He has to be stopped!"

"Hes doing our work for us, let him be."

"It's only a matter of time before he targets us!"

"This is a declaration of war!"

Makarov stared at his hands, lost in thought. Erza did mention some members of Oracion Seiss appeared to have been already injured, but he never gave it a thought. Three months ago...The Alliance defeated them 10 weeks ago, which leaves a 14 days gap between both incidents. If it was so recent, why hasn't the Council informed them before the attack?

Fairy Tail's Master looked at the Chairman and raised his hand.

"What is it, Saint Dreyar?" asked Gran Doma

"Chairman, may I ask why wasn't The Alliance informed of something this crucial? Weakening three members of Oracion Seiss is a major achievement. This information would've benefited the operation, and possibly prevented damage, both physical and material, as we would have approached them more carefully."

Council members started to mutter in agreement, nodding.

"At first, we thought of his actions as a favor to the world of magic. However, his claws started to grow in size, turning him into yet another criminal. We were hoping to deal with this matter in secret, but it is far beyond our power. That is the reason I have gathered you all here." Chairman faced the Guildmasters.

"I have a proposal. However, I have no authority to decide it on my own. Therefore a voting will take place. But it appears Councilman Yajima has a better idea."

All the mages faced Yajima, his hand raised in the air. He stood up from his chair and addressed the Chairman.

"Is he really our enemy? Although I cannot say I agree with his methods, we're all treating him like an enemy of humanity itself. For all we now, he could be just another misguided young mage." he looked at Makarov, almost as if addressing the last sentence to him. The Master snorted quietly in amusement.

"A young misguided mage does not burn down villages and kills or heavily cripples other people." retorted Leiji. "Dark Guild hunting is frowned upon, even among legal guilds, unless the Council approves it. Vigilantism is still a crime."

Whispers of approval once again filled the meeting hall. Gran Doma struck the floor with his staff, silencing them yet again.

"I respect and thank you for your opinion, Councilman Yajima. Please, take your seat.."

Yajima bowed and sat down, a sad frown forming on his face.

Gran Doma struck the floor and stood up. "Ladies and gentlemen, here is the Council's proposal."

November 17th, Magnolia, Fairy Tail Guild

A young blonde girl yawned soundly in boredom, sprawling her torso all over the table. It was fairly early in the morning, and the guild was seemingly empty. Having nothing better to do, she decided to come earlier than usual, in hope of finding something to kill time.

"Gray, can't we just go on a mission?" she asked a raven-haired boy sitting in front of her.

"You know I'm not the one who picks them, Lucy." answered Gray Fullbuster, lazily flipping a page of his magazine.

Lucy sighed heavily, faceplanting the table. She's always found this rule stupid. Even though they formed their team not so long ago, they should all have the same rights. Why does she make all of their decisions on her own?

"You know why." Gray sighed, reading the girl's thoughts.

Lucy straightened herself up and looked to her right, where an armored, scarlet-haired girl was sitting. Not paying attention to her comrades, she continued eating her cake. Lucy gulped, preparing herself for possible outrage.

"Um, Erza?" she asked her friend carefully.

Erza Scarlet took her eyes off her cake and looked at her friend.

"What is it, Lucy?"

Lucy sighed in relief. Talking to Erza when she's eating her cake usually didn't end well. Taking the knight's calm tone for granted, she felt alot less tense.

"I was wondering, could we go on a mission today? It's not like we have anything to do."

Erza put down her fork and cleaned her lips with a napkin.

"You're right, the guild does seem empty. I think we could go for a quick job." she smiled at the blonde.

"Yes!" screamed Lucy, throwing her arms in the air. Gray looked at them from behind his magazine and sighed. He really didn't feel like going out today.

"Well then, I suppose I should go take a look at the board. Any preferences?" the redhead asked her team, standing up from her spot.

"Something with a reward big enough for my rent!"

"Something that doesn't require walking."

Erza smacked Gray across his head and walked up to the board. Seeing no suitable jobs, she shifted her gaze at the second floor. Lately ahe's been thinking about taking her teammates on an S-Class job, but somewhere deep inside, she found them not ready for such an important task. Their skill was not the issue - it was the unpredictibility of S-Class requests.

As Erza continued picking a job, the guilds door opened, startling the redhead. She smiled as she noticed her master standing in the doorway.

"Welcome back, Master. How was the meeting?" asked Lisanna Strauss, who was in charge of the bar.

Makarov muttered something that sounded like "It was fine." and made his way through the guild hall. Upon reaching the stairs to his office, he stopped walking and stood there for couple seconds, before speaking out.

"Erza, come to my office. Alone. There's something I wish to discuss with you."

Erza frowned. His voice sounded way too serious for his carefree nature. She looked at her team, as if expecting an explanation. Gray looked her in the eye and waved his head towards second floor, telling her to go. She nodded and made her way up the stairs, reaching her Master's office. She didn't bother with knocking and opened the door. The very first thing she noticed upon entering the room, was Makarov's figure, showing her his back as he faced the window, as if observing something.

"Close the door." he commanded her.

Erza complied and turned the key over in the lock. She then took her seat and waited for short mage to speak.

"Before we begin, there's something I must know. Are Laxus and Mira currently in Magnolia?" Makarov asked.

"No. Mirajane left this morning to buy supplies and Laxus left on a job with his team. They left two days ago."

Makarov sighed heavily, feeling even more uneasy. He had hoped to catch at least one of them in the guild. He turned around and faced Erza, noticing her worried face.

"Erza, do you trust me?"

The knight's eyes widened in surprise. Why would he ask her that? Wasn't it obvious? Did she do something to make the elder man feel like she didn't trust him?

After a short while, she regained her composure - he would never ask her that without a good reason. Erza gripped her skirt tightly and looked him in the eye.

"Of course, Master."

Seeing her determined eyes, old man nodded and turned to the window once again.

"Very well. Tell me, does the name "Salamander" ring any bells to you?" he asked her.

Erza frowned, trying to remember. She did recall hearing it a time or two, but nothing major came up in her mind.

"I did hear it, however I'm afraid I do not know anything about this person." she answered truthfully.

"I can't blame you. It's someone I didn't know that much about myself, at least until yesterday. On yesterday's meeting, his name had been brought up by the Chairman himself."

"The Chairman attended the meeting?" asked Erza, slightly shocked.

"He did, It was not an ordinary meeting either, almost every important member of the Council was present. All for this "Salamander"."

Now she was shocked. She never heard about such an important meeting. Just who was this Salamander...?

"He tracks down and destroys dark guilds." said old Master, as if reading the girl's mind. "The Council finds him to be a threat to all of Fiore. At first they ignored him, letting him do their dirty work for them. But once he started being more unpleasant than helpful, and the Council was proven to be incompetent, they started to fear him. So they decided to throw this job onto our shoulders."

Now she was just confused. How come she never heard of this? Her jobs were considered some of the most unpleasant jobs available. She had met many outlaws, informators, mercenaries. She herself destroys couple of dark guilds. Surely his actions would have reached her ears at some point.

"The Council decided to put a bounty on his head, in a form of an open S-Class job. It will be sent to all the guilds whose Guild Masters were present at the meeting. That's 12 guilds in total. Whoever captures him first, gets the reward - 30,000,000 jewels."

Erza's eyes widened in shock. "30,000,000?!" she asked. "I don't think I've ever seen a reward this big!"

"That is the amount of money they're willing to spend to make us do their job for them." Makarov muttered, his tone annoyed. He then turned around and sat on his chair, looking Erza in the eye. "That is why I asked if Mira and Laxus are present. I was planning on sending you three on this job."

Shocked redhead looked at her hands, gripping her skirt even harder. Never in her time in Fairy Tail were three S-Class mages sent on the same job. She had faced many dangers, to the point where some of her jobs were considered impossible to finish. But she'd always pulled through on her own. Was this job that dangerous, or did Master have a plan?

"Master, may I ask why you asked me whether I trust you? Does it have something to do with this job?" she asked him, her tone calmer than she expected.

"Because we are not going to play by the Council's rules." the senior retorted, resting his chin on his hands. "You will leave today. I will have Mira and Laxus join you as soon as they get back. We must be quick about this. If the bounty gets to other guilds, Fiore will become a battlefield for dozens of S-Class mages. We're going to be faster."

Erza nodded in agreement. She knew many S-Class mages, even outside of Fairy Tail. None of them will let this chance slip away and not even the Council's laws will stop them.

"Your job will be finding him, and if necessary, subduing him. However, do not alarm the Council. If you manage to get this far, I will take over."

The knight's eyes widened in surprise. "May I ask why you wish to speak to him?" she asked.

"An old friend asked me to. And to be fair, I agree with him. It's most likely because all you shitty brats have such sketchy backgrounds, but I don't think he's who Council makes him out to be." he chuckled in amusement, making the redhead smile. She could not disagree, even if she wanted to.

"You must hurry. Gather people you consider worthy of this task and leave as soon as you can. Although I was not provided with his whereabouts, I'm most certain you will find the right trail. As for other information, I will give you this printed copy of Military's reports. Be mindful though, it's full of meaningless records. Finding something useful in here may be difficult."

Makarov slid a pile of papers towards Erza. She stood up from her seat, grabbing them from the the desk.

"I will take my leave, then. I promise to carry out this task to its end." she bowed, opening the door.

"Be careful." Makarov nodded, watching as she disappeared behind the door.

Erza sighed heavily, as she placed her back on the wood. Truth to be told, she felt nervous. This situation was not something she could have ever predicted. With all the stronger members out of town, her only available choices for this mission were Gray and Lucy. But are they strong enough...?

The redhead shook her head violently, knocking these thoughts out of her mind. They're my teammates. I trust them with my life. How could I even let these thoughts form in my head?

With this resolve, she climbed down the stairs and marched towards her teammates, who were already looking in her way.

"What is it?" asked Gray. Shortly after, Erza repeated the entire conversation to her teammates.

"30,000,000?!" yelled out Lucy, completely shocked, before feeling cold steel on her lips, as Erza gagged her with her hand.

"Yes, Lucy. Be mindful of your surroundings, it's a secret for a reason." Erza hissed, irritated with her friend's reaction.

Lucy looked around, as curious heads turned to look at them. Realising her mistake she sweatdropped and nodded to Erza, who released blonde's mouth.

"Sorry. It's just...I've never heard of this much money being paid for a job."

"Neither have I. And they're willing to give it for capturing some random viligante? Count me in." grinned Gray, confident.

"Yes, they are. But as I said, we're not getting any of that money. This is an extremely dangerous mission, something I should not be taking you on. But I trust you, and I hope you do not fail me." she scowled, looking in Gray's direction, as he muttered a scared "Yes, ma'am."

"With that said, we're leaving today. Meet me in an hour on train station. Take only necessary things, we travel light. Oh, and Lucy?" she addressed the blonde, handing her papers given to her by Makarov "Your job will be reading this. Tell us everything you find important."

Happy to receive the easier part of the job, Lucy nodded. Just when they were about to leave, a sudden scream stopped them in their tracks.

"WAIT!" yelled Makarov, quickly climbing down the stairs. He ran up to Erza and her team, catching his breath.

"What is it, Master?" asked Erza, expecting to hear some valuable information he may have forgotten.

The older mage took a wide swing and smacked his hand into Lucy's butt with full strenght, making the blonde yelp out in pain.

"I forgot something!" grinned Makarov.

"Master..." Erza sweatdropped, as Lucy sobbed quietly in the background.

"Good luck, my children." he said in farewell.

The trio nodded and left the guild, going separate ways to prepare for the mission.

An hour later, the team gathered in Magnolia Station. Both Lucy and Gray had small backpacks hanged over their shoulders, and Erza, much to her friends shock, had only one suitcase.

"So, where to now? Did Gramps give you any leads?" asked Gray.

"No, he didn't. But I already know where to start looking." the knight responded. "We're going to Lupinus Town."

An hour later, the trio was already sitting in the train, which was making its way towards their destination.

"Lucy, you've been reading that thing ever since we left. Have you found anything useful?" asked Gray.

"It's just like Master said, it's practically full of pointless reports." Lucy sighed, slightly disappointed. "The only valuable piece of information I've found thus far, is that he uses fire magic."

"Fire magic? This job is getting easier with each minute!" smirked Gray, punching his hand.

"Gray." Gray jumped in his seat, feeling hundreds of dangers piercing his skin, as he fell victim to Erza's glare. "The Council itself has put up this request. This may turn out to be the most difficult and dangerous job you wil ever go on. I took you with me, because I trusted you are ready. But you're slowly betraying my trust."

Lucy shrieked in her seat, hiding her face behind the papers. She was glad to not be on the receiving end of redhead's death glare.

"Sorry." mumbled Gray, his previous confidence strangled in its crib.

Sensing the tense atmosphere, Lucy decided to keep Erza busy long enough to calm down.

"Erza, why exactly are we going to Lupinus? Do you have an idea of where to look for this guy?" she asked the knight.

Erza relaxed her face and looked at Celestial Mage, taking the bait.

"No, but someone who may know lives there. Whenever I was stuck during my missions, he was the one to point me in the right direction. I don't want to admit it, but if he doesn't know this "Salamander", I doubt we will find him on our own."

This only made Lucy more tense - they had only one shot. If this person doesn't know anything, they're done.

"You're the boss." sighed Gray, looking out the window.

The rest of their journey went by in silence. Lucy focused on her lecture, Gray spaced out while looking at what was behind the window and Erza was sitting in her seat, with her eyes closed.

She couldn't get rid of that bad feeling she had ever since they left. She was worried about her teammates, true, but they were not the cause of her hunch. Trying to imagine what sort of a mage Salamander is was rather difficult, as even his appearance was a mystery. Battle simulations weren't easy either - despite having three counters to his Fire Magic, she didn't feel even a bit confident.

Finally, they reached their destination and got off on an rather obscure looking station. Lupinus didn't have the reputation of the most beautiful town, so for Erza, it was to be expected. Gray and Lucy, on the other hand...

"What the hell's wrong with this town?!" asked Lucy, surprised at the state the city was in.

Every single building they laid their eyes on was either a ruin. or was poorly patched up with materials that did not match each other at all. The station itself was probably the best preserved object in the entire city. Houses were missing walls, chunks of rooftops and some of them didn't have glass in their window frames. Those who could afford some repairs plugged holes in their walls with wood, which was already rotting from both rain and age. Far away, they could spot a castle, or rather its ruins. No matter how they looked at it, this town was...

"...a complete shithole." Gray stated, stunned. "Are you sure this is the place, Erza?"

"Yes." replied the redhead and readjusted the grip on her suitacse before strolling away from the station into the town. "This town was once an inhabited area, just like Magnolia. However, wars between mages took a toll on this place and now it's a hideout for some rather unpleasant folk. They're not dangerous, not unless you start trouble. Stick close to me and we'll be fine."

Lucy immediately ran up to Erza, grabbing her armored arm. They walked for couple of minutes, eagerly following Erza until they stopped in front of a bar. Though the only thing telling them it was a bar was a rather fresh sign, as the building itself didn't look much different from others. The trio entered the building and were met with a rather foul stench of wood soaked with alcohol and tobacco. Windows were covered with black curtains nailed into the wooden frames, blocking any light from entering the local. Stools were put on top of filthy tables, clearly not used in ages. It was hard to see, as the only source of light was a lantern, standing on top of the barcounter, where a man was sitting, focused on his book. He had a black haystack on his head that apparently was his hair, with a week old beard glued to his face. He was most likely in his forties.

"Closed. Get out." said the man, his voice raspy and rough.

Erza walked up to the counter and put her hands on top of it, making nothing of the man's demands.

"You sure?" she asked him in a serious voice.

The man looked up from his book and squinted his eyes, trying to recognize the woman in front of him. After a while, his frown disappeared, replaced with a joyful expression.

"Well, I'll be damned! Erza!"

Throwing his book aside, the man stood up from his chair and wrapped his arms around the redhead, pulling her in for a rather aggressive hug.

Lucy gasped in shock, surprised by his sudden behavior. Gray, on the other hand, made a cross on his head and torso with his hand, praying for this poor bastard's yet to be ripped out soul. To their bigger shock, Erza did not assault the man, but instead lightly hugged him back, patting him on the back.

"You reek, Troy." she said jokingly, making him release her in a flash, as he started to smell himself.

"And you're as hot as ever, so same old I guess." Troy chuckled. He looked at Erza's teammates, who just stood there, stunned by what was happening in front of them. "And they are...?"

"My teammates." answered shortly Erza. "They're with me."

Smiling even wider, Troy extended his hand to Gray and Lucy. "Well, Erza's friends are my friends. I'm Troy."

"Gray Fullbuster." said Gray, shaking the mans hand.

"Lucy." greeted him Lucy, grimacing upon feeling his strong grip.

"Well then." said Troy, sitting back in his chair. "What brings you here? I doubt you're here to talk about old times?" he asked them, as the trio took their seats as well.

"I need your help." responded Erza. "I know I owe you a great deal, but this time I really can't do it without your help."

"Stop it. You know I'll never pay back that debt I owe you. Giving you some information is the least I can do." he waved his hand, making the knight smile. "Well, spit it out. Who, or, what are you tracking this time?"

Reequip mage looked at her teammates, as if looking for advice. Catching her gaze, they both nodded, getting a nod from Erza in return. Looking back at Troy, she answered his question.

"Salamander."

Upon hearing the name, Troy snorted loudly, as an ironic chuckle found its way through his mouth, which irritated Gray.

"Did she say something funny?" he asked, not fond of his reaction.

"I'm afraid she did." Troy retorted, this time dead serious. "Let me put it that way, kid - you'll have an easier time catching smoke, than this guy."

Erza frowned. That's definitely not what she had hoped to hear. This wasn't just about the job - if S-Class mages from all 12 guilds start their hunt, they will definitely engage each other in battle. Money tempted even the wisest mages. A battle between S-Class mages could result in a disaster.

"Is there really nothing you can tell us? This is urgent." she asked the man, looking him deep in the eye.

Seeing determination in redhead's eyes, Troy sighed heavily and scratched his head.

"Don't get me wrong, I didn't say I don't know anything. But what I've got is probably not that different from those papers your cute friend is reading there." he said, looking at papers held by Lucy. "This is some Council shit, right?" he asked her, receiving an approving nod. "I'll tell you everything I know, but don't expect a miracle." he said, this time looking at Erza.

She smiled. "Thank you."

Troy pulled out a cigarette and lit it up. Upon taking a drag from his cancer stick, he blew out some smoke and shared his intel with the team.

"Salamander, the rogue mage. Uses fire magic, hunts down dark guilds and criminals, avoids legal mages and Council members unless he has no other choice. That's all you know, right?" he asked them, receiving nods from the trio. He tapped some ash from his cigarette's tip and continued. "He has no base of operation. He sleeps in caves, bushes, on trees. A man of nature, I'd say. He's rather young, possibly your age. They told you he was an independent vigilante, but what they didn't tell you, is that he's a merc. He takes jobs that are not sent to the guilds for various reasons - they're not that different from jobs you used to take back in the day, Erza. They're all on brink of being illegal, some of them actually cross that line. He talked to only one of his clients and I happen to know the guy, that's how I know he's young. He finds a request, tracks down the client, gets a stamp, carries it out and takes the reward, with no conversations what so ever. But people put up these jobs in hopes of finding him in their doorstep and from what I heard, he's one of the best."

Erza listened, as Troy tapped some ash once again. He was right - the main reason Master forced her to form a team was so that she stopped taking these dangerous missions. When it comes to that, they truly were similar. Troy took another drag and continued.

"But most of the time, he hunts down dark guilds. Baram Alliance is one bigass tree, with each branch being one, big "alliance". From what it seems, he's going up the branches - starting with small fries, only to get to get rid of the top. That's how he got to Oracion Seiss a couple weeks ago. Though they were quite easy to get to, as they didn't really take that many guilds under their banner. But if you ask me, that was a detour, as his main targets are..."

Troy stopped and looked at Erza, who met his gaze. His bored expression was replaced with of a slight worry. They stared at each other for awhile, before Troy broke the contact and crushed his cigarette in an ashtray.

"Nah, nevermin-".

"Tell me."

He looked up, as Erza stared at him with an intimidating look, as if already knowing his answer. After a short fight with her steel eyes, the bartender gave up and sighed heavily, before finishing his sentence.

"Slavers. His main target are slavers."

Redhead's eyes widened in shock, as suddenly all painful memories started to flow into her mind. Cells, chains, whips, Jellal, Rob, Rosemary Vilage - everything struck at once, with unexpected force. She clutched her head with her hand, sinking down in her seat, panting heavily. Lucy immediately scooped over, wrapping her arm around the shaking knight. Troy looked at Gray with "I'm sorry" written on his face, but the youngster shook his head, assuring him he wasn't at fault.

Erza took a deep breath, calming herself down as Lucy continued to rub her back in worry.

"Thank you, Lucy. I'm fine now." she smiled weakly at the blonde, who smiled back in return. She then faced Troy and said " Continue, please."

Still feeling uncomfortable, the older man clicked his tongue and pulled out another cigarette, lighting it.

"I don't know if it's a grudge, or a coincidence, but the way I see it, he's much more aggressive when it comes to them than other guilds. Either way, I sure would like to shake his hand one day. Guy's doing us all a favor. Although I'd use a a fake hand on a long-ass stick to do it." he added with a nervous chuckle.

"And you don't know where, or how to find him?" asked Gray.

"No. He's the one doing the finding. If he wants to meet you, he will find you. If you try to find him, you'll just waste your time. From what I heard, he knows how to cover his trail. Not even military dogs can catch his smell, and the way he finds people is similar to a dog's as well. Hell if I know if the guy is even human." Troy shook his head.

"Well, if a dog can't catch him, maybe tincan will get something?" ice mage asked his teammates.

"We don't have enough time to go get him. We must carry this mission out with what we currently have." stated Erza. She stood up from her chair and faced Troy. "Thank you, friend. I don't know what I'd do without you." she smiled at him, extending her hand.

The man stood up and grabbed her hand, giving it a firm shake.

"It's the least I can do. Good luck, Erza. And take care."

The trio nodded and left the bar, heading towards train station.

"Where have you met this guy?" asked Gray, looking back at the bar. "When he grabbed you I was sure you'd kill him."

"He may seen unable to read the mood, but the man's not dangerous." chuckled Erza. "He lost his family and became a bandit, though he was never fond of violence. I met him on one of my jobs when he was injured defending a girl from his "friends". I helped him defeat them and took him to a nearby village, where they patched him up,. Ever since then, he thinks of me as his goddess, who saved his life. He then came here and got interested in rumors. Soon after, the main currency in his bar was information. Every time I was having trouble tracking something, or someone nearby Lupinus, he would point me in the right direction."

"Damn." said Gray in an impressed tone. "I didn't know you hanged out with such company."

"You don't know many things about me, Gray." she smiled mischievously.

"So, where to now? He didn't give us any directions." Lucy asked Erza, worried they failed the job.

"I've got an idea where we can look." responded Erza. "For the past couple months, a certain village kept sending requests to many guilds. According to the villagers, their local guild was a dark guild that kept terrorizing and blackmailing the inhabitants. Problem is, the guild itself is officially registered as a legal guild and no evidence had been found that suggests otherwise. However, the villagers kept sending the requests, to the point where majority of guilds banned them from sending any requests at all. Although Fairy Tail was the only guild to not ban them, we kept ignoring them. But last month they just stopped coming. At first I even asked Master if he had finally banned them, but it turns out they just stopped sending them in."

"Where are you going with this? That they found someone who took the job outside of legal guilds?" frowned Gray.

"Exactly." retorted Erza, looking Gray in the eye.

The ice mage's eyes widened, as he realised what she meant. "You think he'll be there?" he asked her, his face immediately getting serious. "Sound a bit stretched to me."

"Stretched doesn't nearly cover it, but it's our best shot."

"I guess. If he really is in that village, we have to be careful. That guy said something about him taking on Oracion Seiss, and we all know how our fight against them went down."

"I know. That's why I forbid you both to hold back if we engage him."

Lucy gulped in fear, but nodded. Even with Erza and Gray by her side, she didn't feel too safe. Still, Master was the one to entrust them with this task. She couldn't back down, not after coming this far.

Gray smirked and punched his hand, cold spreading across his arm. He was up against a fire mage - as an ice mage, it was his duty to take him down.

"The request was not just about blackmail - they claimed people kept disappearing. If what Troy said is true, he may take an interest in this job." the Requip mage turned around and looked at her teammates, her face determined. "That's why we're going to unofficially take their request as well - we're going to Blackhill Village."

"Yes, ma'am!"

Later that day, the team arrived in Blackhill. The sun was already starting to set in, as orange light covered the village. Although it was in much better shape than Lupinus, saying this place looked good would be a lie. The villagers were wearing rags, some of them with yellowish and purple bruises peeking from under their clothes. The houses they lived in looked old, almost abused, as nearly all of them were covered in mud, rust and old, dry paint peeling off the walls. They clearly needed some repairs.

But one building clearly stood out from the rest, as it looked clean, almost brand new, with a giant sign saying Dragon Claw nailed just above the entrance. Loud sounds of laughter, music and clapping could be heard, even through thick closed door of the guild. It was pretty obvious who truly ruled this village.



"You know, I'm starting to think these people weren't lying after all." muttered Gray to Erza, receiving a slight headshake from the knight.

"This village has a mayor. He's the man behind the requests. If anyone can help us, it's him." whispered the redhead, trying not to startle nearby villagers.

The team walked up to a young boy sitting on his porch. He didn't look well - his clothes were full of holes and his nails almost black from dirt. He was eating an apple, lazily looking at the sunset. He then noticed people coming towards him and stood up from his spot, almost as if ready to run.

"Wait, we're not here to hurt you." said Erza, putting her hands up in the air as a sign of peace. The boy looked at her, not letting his guard down. "We're looking for the mayor. Can you tell us where to find him?"

The boy hesitated for a while, as he eyed all three mages very carefully. Finally, he turned around to face them, before pointing his finger to the building at the end of the alley. "There. He works behind the bar in the evenings."

"Thank you." Erza smiled at him and waved her hand at her team, telling them to follow her.

They followed his directions and founds themselves in front of yet another bar(which Gray commented accordingly). Reequip mage pushed the door and entered the local.

Unlike Troy's bar, this one was actually quite crowded. Almost every table was stacked with dirty looking people, clearly tired after long day of work. They all sipped their drinks in silence, only few of them engaging each other in conversation. The only seats available were by the counter, behind which stood a short, older man with a mustache. He was focused on cleaning a very filthy glass, not paying attention to his guests. For some reason, he looked nervous, afraid even. Erza figured out that this must be the mayor. The trio sat down, and only then did the man notice them.

"Oh, my apologies, didn't see you there." he apologized to them in a gentle, elderly voice, as he smiled at them. "Would you like a drink?"

"No, we're good." responded softly Erza. She could smell the fakeness of his smile. Something was definitely wrong with this place. "We're here in business."

The mayor chuckled, as he continued to clean his glass. "Business, eh? Does this "business" have anything to do with me, by any chance?" he laughed.

Erza smiled lightly. "Yes, I'm afraid it does. We're from Fairy Tail."

Upon hearing these words, the mayor stopped in his tracks. His previously kind face was replaced with a scowl, as he looked at young mages with a slight disgust in his eyes. This sudden change scared Lucy, as the previously cheerful old man now looked like a dangerous individual.

"I'm afraid we have nothing to discuss. I must ask you to leave." he hissed, his voice full of poison.

Erza, clearly not intimidated, leaned towards the mayor and whispered in an equally serious tone. "Let us help you. All we need are answers."

The man stared back at Erza, making her feel slightly uneasy. "I have nothing to tell you. You mages have already taught us to take care of our problems on our own."

It took her a second, but redhead's eyes slowly widened, as she read deeper into the mayor's words. Did he..?

"What have you done?" she hissed, her armored hand gripping tightly onto the counter.

The mayor put his glass down and leaned towards Erza, as they were now mere centimeters away from each other.

"Listen, kid. I've been watching these good people suffer for years. I've seen their children being taken away from them, I've seen their houses burn, I've seen women being repeatedly taken against their will right in front of their husbands. I was willing to give all the money I had, I was begging the Council to help us. But they simply shrugged it off and left us alone with these monsters. So I've decided to step into their territory."

Erza was in shock. The mayor had no reason to lie, nothing to gain. How come none of these details ever found their way into the requests? Did someone from the Council cover this up? If only she knew what was happening here...

"To beat a monster, you need another monster. I am not a mage, and I'm not ready to leave my people alone in this cruel world just yet. So if you can't fight the monster by becoming one, the answer is simple. You hire the monster."

Erza quickly shot back up to her feet. "Gray! Luc..."

A powerful explosion erupted in the city, as the shockwave hit the bar, breaking the glass in windows. Some people fell off their chairs, including Lucy. Erza quickly ran up to the window, looking for the source of the shockwave, but she didn't have to look too far - Dragon Claw's guildhall, which was just 200 meters away, was bursting in flames. People who got knocked out of the building by the explosion were crawling on the ground, twisting in agony as their clothes burned along with their skin. Erza quickly turned to face the mayor, who glared back at her - his eyes had no room for guilt or compassion. She didn't have to think twice to realise what was going on.

"He's here."

With that thought she jumped out of the window, with Gray and Lucy following her, as the ice mage quickly started extinguishing people and nearby houses while running.

Just before they reached the building, something broke out of it through the wall, as if thrown by someone with ridiculous force. That something turned out to be a rather tall, skinny man in a black coat, as he flew across the street and hit the building in front of the guild with enough force to crack its wall. He coughed up a lot of blood, before sliding down the wall, landing on his bottom. His face was covered in blood and he clearly had internal damage, as he desperately gasped for air.

Upon seeing this, Lucy stopped running and covered her mouth, terrified. It all happened in a moment, leaving her with no time to mentally prepare herself. She couldn't get her eyes off the injured man, as he desperately tried to stand up, only to feel his legs buckle under his weight. Even Gray was shocked, despite having experience with brutal jobs. He instinctively got in front of Lucy, ready to defend her. Erza, on the other hand, remained calm and Requipped a sword, expecting someone to come out the burning building.

She was right, as someone started coming out through the hole. It was clearly a man. His entire body was covered from toes to the top of his head. He was wearing black, heavy combat boots, with black military pants covering his lower body. His hands were covered in bandages, reaching up to his elbows, tied on top of his black, buttonless jacket's sleeves he was wearing under his dark-blue cloak. His mouth and nose were covered with a white scarf, pulled up so high it almost reached the dark-blue bandanna that sat on top of his head, leaving him with a very narrow gap to see through.

Upon emerging from the hole, the trio was suddenly met with his magical power. It felt as if gravity was suddenly increased, and Lucy's knees buckled under her from the weight of his power. Not bothering to fight it, she let herself drop to the ground, staring in fear at the man.

"What the hell is this?! I think I'm gonna throw up..." thought Gray, terrified. He never felt such disgustingly high magic, not even from people in his guild he himself considered monsters. He shifted his eyes to the knight standing in front of him, his previous confidence oozing out of him like air from a popped balloon. He gulped loudly, and took a step back. "I may be shitting my pants here, but this guy might be too much, even for Erza."

Erza, on the other hand, took a fighting stance. His magic was truly beyond powerful, but she couldn't back down. Not after seeing what he's capable of. She looked at unconscious men lying on the ground, covered in burns, feeling her hands tighten on her sword in anger - he had to be stopped, here and now. She glued her eyes back to his figure, expecting him to attack.

Salamander, however, didn't even notice them, as he continued making his way towards the beaten guild member. His eyes widened in fear, as Salamander finally closed the distance between them and put his hand around the man's throat, lifting him up just high enough to take the ground away from his feet. The skinny man wiggled his legs in the air, struggling to breathe as he wrapped his hands around Salamander's arm, trying to loosen up his grip.

"Where are they?"

Salamander's voice was merciless and quiet. He stared deep into Dragon Claw member's eyes, waiting for his answer. Upon hearing none, he tightened his grip, strangling the man, before repeating the question, this time louder.

"I asked you, where are they..."

"Hey!"

Salamander slowly turned his head in direction of the shout, finally noticing the three mages looking his way. He quickly checked each of them out, before laying his eyes on the raven-haired man's guild mark located on his bare chest. Figuring out it wasn't him, he looked at the kneeling girl, dismissing her as well. That left him with a redhaired knight, pointing at him with her sword.

"Unhand him immediately." she hissed dangerously, glaring daggers into his eyes.

Salamander remained quiet for a while, before turning away from the redhead, focusing once again on the now purplefaced man he was still holding in his grasp.

"If you want to make yourselves useful, go downstairs. You'll find 8 missing girls chained up in the basement."

Erza's anger was now peaking, as she stepped towards the rogue mage, ready to strike at any moment.

"You're from Fairy Tail, right?" he asked Erza, looking in her direction "Go downstairs and call Rune Knights. I'm pretty sure these are the people you call when dealing with slavers."

The man he's been holding all this time lost consciousness, as his limp hands fell off Salamander's arm. He clicked his tongue in annoyance and threw him aside like a ragdoll.

"Look what you've done, now I have to get another one to interro..."

"Not another step."

Salamander glared at the knight, clearly irritated. Without him noticing she slowly, but surely closed the distance between them, as they were now only 5 meters away from each other. Sensing that a fight may be inevitable, he decided to calm the situation down.

"I don't want to fight you." he said truthfully. Fighting them would not only be dangerous for the village, but him as well. The woman in front of him was clearly on another level - holding back wouldn't be an option.

Tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife. Erza and Salamander just stood there, measuring each other up. One wanted to avoid combat, the other wondered if attacking was a wise choice. Behind Erza stood Gray, still on guard, with Lucy sitting awkwardly behind him on the ground.

Erza felt drops of sweat run down her face and it wasn't because of the heat. Now that she had slightly calmed down, she could analize the situation properly. Lucy was basically out of commission - probably for the best. Despite not seeing him in action, she knew Salamander was intelligent. In case of a fight, Lucy would be his first target, as she's clearly the weakest out of the trio. Gray, on the other hand, did not give in to the pressure - two against one. With these numbers, there was still a chance. But was it really worth it? If what he said about the basement is true, fighting him may only prevent saving the victims. On the other hand, it could very well turn out to be a trap...

As Erza continued her brainstorm, Salamander realised talking to her was pointless, and started walking towards the guildhall.

"Wai-"

EVIL EXPLOSION!

Erza was suddenly knocked back by a powerful explosion. The blast was so strong she had to plunge her sword into the ground to prevent falling onto her butt. Gray froze his legs and the ground beneath him to keep himself from getting blown away, as Lucy tightly hugged his leg, both of them staying in their positions. When the dust finally went down, Erza squinted and to her shock, she noticed Salamander with one of his knees on the ground. He was panting heavily, as his cloak fell off his shoulders, ripped beyond recognition. His dark-blue bandanna started to change color into dark scarlet, as drops of blood fell on top of his bandaged hand, which he used to support himself.

Salamander tried to get up, only to be interrupted by another sneak attack.

WATER LOCK!

A huge ball of water surrounded the fire mage, catching him by surprise, as he struggled to breathe. Seeing this as a golden opportunity, Gray quickly froze the water along with Salamander, locking him in an ice prison.

Erza simply stood there and watched how easily he was caught. More surprised than glad, she turned around and looked up to the rooftop, where three figures were standing.

"What the hell are you all doing here?" the knight asked.

New trio jumped down, letting Gray and Lucy to get a better look at them.

"Mira! Juvia, Gajeel!" gasped Lucy in relief, finally feeling strong enough to stand up. Gray sighed in relief as well, loosening his body up.

"Let's just say Gramps doesn't trust you enough." chuckled Gajeel, as he crossed his arms on his chest.

"Sure, tincan, keep dreaming." retorted Gray in mocking voice.

"Wanna go, ice fart?"

"Huh?!"

"Gray, that was a splendid display of teamwork!" thrown in Juvia, getting in-between the men, as they were already getting ready to fight.

"Yeah, sure. Ok."

Erza watched her friends bicker, as the air around them started to loosen up. All that tension from a minute ago was completely gone, allowing the redhead to finally take a deep breath. She then faced a demon looking white-haired girl that was walking towards her.

"How did you find us, Mira?"

Mirajane released her form and walked past Erza, not responding at first, irritating the Reequip mage. Mira simply walked up to Lucy and slapped her butt, making the blonde yelp in surprise. The Take Over mage then removed her hand from Lucy's bottom and showed Erza her open palm, with something small lying in the center.

"Lacrima tracker. Master put it on you before you left." Mirajane explained shortly. "He planned on sending even more people, but we assured him we're enough. Though if I were you, I'd expect Laxus to catch up to us pretty soon."

"But did he really have to put it there?" Lucy asked quietly, but no one paid attention to her.

"So, now what?" asked Gray, as he walked up to the women with Juvia hanged around his arm. "Gramps told us to capture him and then wait for him. Do we take this guy to the guild?" he pointed at frozen Salamander.

"No. This thing is also a communicator. By pressing this button, Master will know it's his turn to step in." Mira responded, pressing the button in the meantime. "So now we wait."

"You know, the way Gramps hyped this guy up, I was expecting something exciting." Gajeel whined, dissatisfied with not getting a part in taking Salamander down.

"Yeah, that was little bit disappointing." agreed Mira.

"Um, guys..?" thrown in Lucy, her voice shaky.

"Don't get ahead of yourself, Gajeel." scolded him Erza, ignoring Lucy. "We just got lucky, that's all."

"Guys..."

"We? You didn't do shit, fatass." mocked her Mira, giving Erza an angry tick.

"What did you say, you slut?!"

"Huh?!"

"GUYS!" yelled Lucy.

"What?!" asked her friends in unison, irritated by her screaming.

Lucy then pointed her finger behind them, her face overtaken with pure terror. Erza turned around, only to feel her eyes widen in shock as well.

The ice around Salamander began to crack. All 6 Fairy Tail mages watched as more cracks appeared on its surface, with more and more magic power getting out of the prison. Gray quickly joined his hands together, trying to fix the damage, but he was too late, as Salamander burst his prison open, sending sharp pieces of ice flying in every direction, as they plunged themselves into the ground, walls and flied into the now dark sky. Young mages watched him, as he panted heavily, his back turned in their direction. Taking a deep breath, the fire mage slowly turned around to face them. Despite not being able to see his face they could tell he was not happy. Erza once again Requipped a sword, and in the corner of her eye she saw Gajeel transform his arm into an iron club.

Suddenly, gravity increased around them, suffocating Lucy once again, as she dropped to the ground even harder than before. Salamander released his magic power upon them, filling them all with terror - now even Erza felt sick. Despite having different thoughts and understandings of the situation, they all understood one thing - he was furious.

Salamander reached towards his mouth, making Mira quickly transform into her Satan Soul form. Fairy Tail mages put up their guards, anticipating his attack. Forcing herself to stand up and despite fear crawling all over her body, Lucy reached to her belt, unlocking her key bag, reading herself to fight. This time, there was no other way around it.

Salamander put his hand on his scarf and pulled it down, revealing his mouth. He then exhaled loudly and leaned back, inhaling as much air as possible, his magical power rising in the process.

"What the hell is he doing?!" asked Gray, watching him in confusion.

"Nothing pleasant, I'll tell you that." hissed Mira, reading herself to counterattack.

FIRE DRAGON'S...

Gajeel's eyes widened in pure terror, as his enhanced hearing allowed him to catch Salamander's words.

"You've got to be shitting me..." he muttered in shock, earning surprised looks from his friends.

ROAR!

A stream of destructive, almost purging fire came out of Salamander's mouth, coming towards Fairy Tail mages, catching them by surprise, as it burned everything on its path.

A gigantic explosion shook the entire village, as fire consumed the entire street, burning everything it touched. Salamander panted lightly, putting his scarf back on its place. Just as he was about to turn around and leave the area, he squinted his eyes, looking in his target's direction, as something was happening inside of the flames. Suddenly, his flames were cut in half, as a redhaired knight sliced it with her sword, much to his shock.

Shards of ice fell onto the ground, as remains of Gray's last minute ice shield shattered upon impact like a thin layer of ice on a puddle. However this bought enough time to allow Erza to Reequip into her Flame Empress Armor.

Erza lowered her sword, looking at her shaking arm. The sheer force of that attack was so great it left her arm numb, despite her 50% immunity to fire. Gripping her sword tighter and getting rid of the shaking, she looked behind her to check up on her friends.

"Are you alright?" she asked them, getting a thumbs up from Mira and Gray. Gajeel, on the other hand just stared at Salamander, dumbfound.

"You've gotta be shitting me..." he repeated, this time more angry than scared.

"What are you talking about, tincan?!" asked irritated Gray in-between his breaths.

"He's no damn Fire Mage." gritted Gajeel. "He's a fucking Dragon Slayer. A Fire Dragon Slayer."

They all looked at him, surprised by his words.

"Dragon Slayer? You mean like you, Laxus and Wendy?" asked him Mira, shifting her gaze onto immobile Salamander.

He simply nodded. Erza looked at the man in front of her, thinking of their next move. They definitely needed numbers, however this portrayal of strength was enough to make up her mind - he was not an opponent Lucy could possibly fight against. Not yet.

"Lucy, Juvia!" said girls looked at the knight. "Both of you go into the guildhall and head downstairs. If what's he's telling is true, you'll find kidnapped women in there. Make sure they're safe and don't come out until we're done here. We can't put them in danger." she ordered them and readied her stance.

Juvia nodded and grabbed Lucy by the arm, pulling her towards the ruins. As Erza expected, Salamander ignored them and focused on 4 mages standing before him.

"We're doing this together, understood?" Erza asked her guildmates, receiving approving nods from all of them.

Having lost his element of surprise, Salamander momentarily abandoned his idea of retreat and positioned himself, leaning towards the ground, ready to attack. His vision was blurry and his body heavy, the blood from his head wound dripping all over the ground and his clothes.

"On my signal." whispered Erza, as Salamander flexed his legs, ready to dash.

"Now!" she yelled, as all five mages launched themselves from their positions.

The hardest fight of their lives has just begun.

End of Chapter 1. To be continued in Chapter 2 "Two Elements."

In case you're confused about the "timeline" - this fic is taking place between Edolas and Tenroujima. Also, Tower of Heaven didn't happen, or should I say - it went down very differently from the main story. Imagine every previous arc, but without Natsu. Except Fantasia. My Laxus didn't turn into an irritating brat. Also, I decided not to kill Lisanna, simply because it was completely stupid of Mashima. That's why Mira is still her rebellious self.

To all the Lucy fans, upset with the way I treated her - this is Lucy before Grimoire Heart. I think we can all agree that back then she wasn't as badass as she is right now. I will focus on making her an actual fighter, not a living fanservice device.

That's it for now. See you next time!