Keeping Secrets

Everything As Planned

So... baby has not come yet. This chapter just gave me a lot of trouble. But, here we are, finally.

I hope everyone enjoys!

Chapter title taken from the song of the same name by We Came As Romans

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KEEPING SECRETS CHAPTER 30- EVERYTHING AS PLANNED

Sand and lightning collided in explosive bursts as Ajeel and Laxus exchanged magic, each clash rumbling through Hargeon. The air was thick with static and grit, the charged atmosphere crackling with a promise of devastation.

Ajeel's smirk widened as he held his ground. "You're no pushover, that's for sure! But let's see how you handle a real storm! SAND WORLD!"

With a thunderous roar, the entire town seemed to dissolve into a massive sandstorm. Swirling dunes enveloped the streets, blotting out the sun and reducing visibility to a grainy haze.

Laxus narrowed his eyes, the sand stinging his skin, but he grinned in defiance. His dragon enhanced senses clearly picked up Ajeel through the chaos swirling around them. He's betting I'll lose sight of him. Too bad for him, I don't need to see to land a hit!

Crouching low, Laxus let his magic surge through him. Sparks danced along his figure, building until his body became a literal lightning bolt. He launched himself into the storm, tearing through the sands in a brilliant flash of gold.

The sandstorm dispersed as Ajeel's stunned form was struck, the sound of thunder splitting through the air. The Spriggan flew through the walls of a nearby house, the structure groaning before collapsing into a pile of rubble.

Laxus landed smoothly, standing tall amidst the dissipating sands. He didn't relax, though; he knew better than to think a member of the Spriggan 12 would go down with one strike.

Sure enough, the rubble shifted, and Ajeel pushed himself free, laughing as he did. Shaking off the debris like it was nothing. A wide smile stretched across his face, even as sparks danced along his singed skin. "Damn! That actually hurt! I knew fighting you was gonna be sweet!"

"Pffft. Wish I could say the same." Laxus spat, his tone cold. "You're here destroying our home, and you're running around like a kid in a candy shop. Forgive me if I'm not thrilled about it."

Ajeel's smirk didn't waver as he dusted himself off. "Oh, lighten up, man! Orders are orders. I gotta do what I gotta do." He casually gestured at the rubble around him, his voice dripping with mockery. "But I just wanna point out, you're the one who trashed someone's house here, not me..."

A vein in Laxus's forehead twitched. "Quit with the smartass remarks or all they'll have left of you to send back to Alvarez is a bag of sand!"

Without warning, Laxus surged forward again, his magic sparking around him. "Lightning dragon, iron fist!"

His electrified punch drove towards Ajeel, but this time, two giant hands of sand erupted from the ground to intercept him. The sand absorbed his lightning, dulling the attack before pushing him back.

Ajeel crossed his arms, a smug grin plastered across his face. "Oh no, no more iron dragon fists for me!" He said mockingly. "Learned my lesson the first time with those!"

Laxus straightened back up, his brow furrowing in confusion. "Learned your lesson?"

"Yeah," Ajeel said, his tone almost casual. "We got our own dragon slayers back in Alvarez, ya know. They like that little move too, and I lost against one of 'em last time because of it, partially. But I ain't dumb enough to let the same thing beat me twice. If you wanna break through my sand, you'll have to come up with something better than that!"