Slayer

Bandits

They arrived at the town of Sartola. It had been taken over by bandits and it was Laxus and Arvis' job to put an end to their hold over the town.
It was mid afternoon when they walked into town. It was unnervingly quiet.

The two wizards walked into a bar. Eyes snapped over to stare at them. Laxus brazenly walked up to the bartender behind the bar. "We're the Wizards that have been sent to take care of you're bandit problem. So where are they?"
The man behind the bar looked a little shocked. "You're from Fairy Tail?"
Arvis stepped forward. "Yes. Where are the bandits?" she asked.
"They usually don't come until the night."
Laxus sighed. He walked over to an empty table and pulled out a chair. He sat down and put his feet up.
"What are you doing?" Arvis asked.
"He just said they aren't gonna show up until tonight. So I'm gonna get a couple drinks."
Arvis took a seat across from him looking less than pleased.
An hour later Laxus had two empty mugs in front of him and two women had come around hanging off his arm.
Arvis watched with disgust and anger. The women bat their eye lashes and purred at him.
Disgusting, she thought.
She wordlessly got up and left the bar. It was hours before the sunset and any action would happen. So she decided she would go find a hotel to stay in before she got sick watching those women throw themselves at Laxus.
"Arvis!" Laxus called.
She looked back and he was coming after her.
"Where are you going?"
She scoffed. "The bandits won't show up until much later. I'm going to find a hotel."
"We had a perfect waiting place in the bar."
"You have a perfect waiting spot in the bar. Go back to your tramps. I'll be just fine by myself."
Laxus smirked at his new partner. "Do I detect some jealousy?"
Arvis rolled her eyes and kept the flush off her cheeks. "I know it's hard for you but don't be stupid. You can stay here. I didn't ask you to come with." She began walking away again.
Laxus was filled with fury by her insult but finding himself speechless and without a snappy comeback he stomped back to the bar.

Arvis sat in the lobby of the hotel she and Laxus would be staying in. We'd booked a room for them and now jut needed to pass the time.
She was reading a book she found pretty boring.
Someone cleared their throat. "Excuse me but are you new around here?"
She looked up and standing in front of her was a handsome looking man. He gazed at her with gentle brown eyes. His brown hair slicked back.
"Yes. What's it to you?" she said back with a cold exterior.
He smiled. "Well I've never seen you around here and I just can't let the opportunity of meeting such a beautiful woman pass me."
She narrowed her eyes. "Keep walking" she said returning back to her boring book.
The man chuckled. "Have you ever been told you're kind of cold."
She looked up to him shocked. Then pushing it back she hardened her face. "I haven't been told but I'm quite aware. Listen, I plan on leaving here in two days at the most. Whether you're looking for a relationship or a quick fuck I'm not interested in either." She turned back to her book. "So please leave me be."
He chuckled again.
Arvis sighed wondering how he didn't get the hint.
"What if I just want to be friends?"
She didn't look up from her book. "How many times has that line worked for you?" she asked offhandedly.
"Never. I hoped you might be the first."
"I will not" she said.
"Hmmm" he said, "How about you just let me take you to dinner. We don't even have to talk."
Arvis gazed past him at the sun that was just starting to go down. She still had more time to kill.
She shut her book and stood up. She left her book on the coffee table next to her chair.
"Fine." She began walking to the door. "I want ramen. And if you try anything I will cut off your hand." A concealed knife fell down her sleeve and flashed in her hand. "Don't think I won't." With expert dexterity the knife spun and disappeared back in her sleeve.

It was night time. Laxus hadn't heard a peep of any type of trouble. It was eerily quite.
In the back of his mind he wondered what Arvis was doing. A nagging thought wondered if she was mad at him. He sighed knowing they weren't on the best of terms to begin with but he hoped their little fight hadn't made anything worse.
He smirked. It did remind him though of when they first met.

He was walking past a restaurant when he saw something that made him back up. He stared in the window and couldn't believe what he saw. Arvis sat at a table with some strange guy. They were eating together and talking. And most upsetting to the dragon slayer Arvis had a small smile on her lips.
He couldn't believe she was having dinner with a stranger.

Laxus stormed in furious and ready to break up any type of fun she'd had without him.
He stormed over to their table fuming.
"Arvis! What the hell do you think you're doing?!"
She looked up at him with bored eyes. "I'm having ramen with Tomen" she said simply like it was obvious.
"Do you know him?!!"
"Since about half an hour ago I do."
Laxus couldn't believe his ears. "What the hell is wrong with you?"
"I'm fine. What's wrong with you? You're abnormally pissy for me having dinner with a man. You wouldn't happen to be jealous would you?" She repeated his sentence from earlier, a shit-eating-grin breaking out over her lips.
He grabbed her arm and pulled her up. "I'm not fucking jealous. We've got work to do" he snarled. "So your dates over!"
Laxus carried her out and stormed down the street.
"Stupid woman" Laxus mumbled under his breath.
There was a small chuckle behind him.
He looked back shocked.
What he saw made his mouth drop.
Arvis was looking at him with a genuine smile. Not a smirk.
He was about to say something when a ball of red magic hit him and sent him flying away from his partner.

Arvis had been fighting for almost an hour. It seemed an unbelievable amount of bandits had come. They were all weak, though numerous, she found the battles boring and a waste of her time.
She had pushed away yet another weak bandit when she was tapped on her shoulder.
She spun around and was confused to see Tomen. "What are you doing here?" She asked.
He smiled and then put his hands to each side of her head.
Excruciating pain rippled through her head.
She screamed pushing him away with her magic and then passed out.

Laxus was becoming even more bored with the weak bandits. The few that were still fighting annoyed him more than anything.
Then a scream rang through the night. Laxus looked over wondering who it came from. It kind of sounded like Arvis but...he'd never heard her scream.
Laxus quickly threw lightning all around him, knocking out all the bandits.
He took off running. "Arvis!?"
He called for her, running down streets looking for her.
He skidded across to a street and his heart froze at what he saw.
Arvis laid on the ground not moving. He couldn't believe it. Someone had defeated her. She was one of the strongest wizards he knew.
"Arvis!!"
He ran to her and knelt next to her. He held her carefully looked her over. She looked fine except for a cut running over her nose and cheeks.
"Arvis" he called. "Wake up. Come on. Let me know you're okay. Come on!" He grew more frustrated by the second as she laid there unconscious.
Her chest rose and fell so he at least knew she was breathing.
He pulled her closer.
He felt like a failure. He was supposed to watch over her. Keep her safe.

The next day
Laxus sat through a train ride to return back to Fairy Tail quicker. Arvis all the while still unconscious next to him.
Arriving back in Magnolia he gave her a piggyback ride, slinging her over his back and carrying her lifeless body.

Inside he was in torment. He'd put a bandage over the cut on her nose.

When he arrived at Fairy Tail he kicked open the door and rushed in. "Gramps!" he called.
The guild went quiet never having seen Laxus look frantic.
"Gramps!!" he called louder.
He laid Arvis on a table and the guild gasped. He was breathing hard staring down at her. Her green hair fanned over the table and the tips fell over the side.
Makarov jumped up concerned. "What happened?" he asked.
"I'm not sure" Laxu said. He put a hand on the side of her head. "We got separated. I heard her scream and when I found her she was like this." Laxus looked at his grandfather worried. "Is she gonna be okay?"
"Mmm" he said not sounding so certain. "Quickly take her to the infirmary."

A couple hours later Laxus sat in her room waiting for her to wake up. The doctor said she would be fine.
A deep breath made him look over at her. Her eyes were open just a crack. She stretched in her bed.
Laxus went over to the side of her bed.
He gazed at her with a look of pure relief.
"Arvis" he said gently. "I'm glad you're okay. How are you feeling?"
She looked at him and he couldn't understand the look she was giving him.
"My head hurts" she said in a gravely voice. "But other than that I'm fine." She looked at him and he stared into her gold eyes. "I have a question though. Who are you?"