NaLu: Just Experiments

CHAPTER 11: Bullies

(Natsu's POV)

I walk down the hall with Gray next to me trying to find Lucy. Gray is blabbing on and on about one of his classes and how much smarter he is than his teacher. I notice his talking stops suddenly and follow his gaze to see some guy grab Lucy and throw her to the side. Instinctively, we start to growl and run towards the scene. As we run we see her say something that makes them come back looking irritated.
     Soon we come up behind her and she smiles at us and mouths bullies. I convince a shivering Levy to back up and then the fun can begin.
"What did you say?" The man I saw push Lucy said, irritated. "I said 'Why on earth would I be grateful to you.'" Lucy snaps, not afraid at all. The man walks closer to us until he's about a foot away. He looks like he's about to lash out at us, but instead he smiles and says, "You must be new. My name is Cobra. That's Midnight, Angel, Hoteye and Racer. We are the popular people here," he goes back to his group and spins around, "and you all are little nobodies. Don't get in our way."
I can't help but laugh. First it's a small giggle. Then it shakes my whole body and I have to grab Gray to keep from falling over. Gray does a small grunt of laughter, and Lucy giggles quietly. I just can't keep it in. "Those are quite the nicknames you guys have!" I say in between laughing, "The best part is..'snort'....you all think you're a big deal. You think you're all that." I see Cobra's eyebrow twitch. "Who do you think you are?" Gray asks.
     "You really are a pest aren't you?" he says to me, "The pest, the ignorant one," he looks to Lucy, " and their pet." Oh no. I look at Lucy and realize Gray is doing the same. Her hands are in tight fists. Her eyes, normally a chocolate brown, seem to have transformed into black holes of pure fury. I can tell she's about to lose it. She looks up at Cobra and spits out, "Say that again, you obnoxious, big headed oaf." It's all over.
     "What?" Cobra says, his face shocked and insulted. "Excuse me if I don't speak idiotic jerk as well as you, but I thought I heard you call me a.." she says the last word like its bitter poison in her mouth, " pet." Poor Cobra had no idea what he just got himself into. First, he made a woman angry. Second, that woman is a genetically advanced human with a strategically stronger mind than any other human alive. Third, he said the one word in the world that gives that woman, in her mind, the right to kill him.
     Still not aware to his situation, Cobra responds, "Yeah, so what if I did?" Meanwhile, Lucy puts her hand behind her back and generates a small ball of light. Wait. Since when could she do that? I look closer and slowly start to remember. That's the light we saw when Leo came, Lucy's spirit of strength. He said he lived in her and with training she could learn to use his power through her. I guess she's feeling a surge of emotion. Who could blame her?
I watch as she closes her eyes, concentrating. The light leaves her hand and travels to the floor. It creeps up to the small group of bullies, without them noticing. Slowly, it comes up from the floor and seems to wrap around their legs. It jerks them up from the ground and starts to throw them around in the air. It looks like the light is playing a game of catch, with five people as their balls.
I hear Lucy start to laugh and say, "So, maybe next time don't call me that." She snaps her fingers and the light disappears, dropping them all to the floor. "Kay, thanks!" she smiles sweetly and starts to walk away with Gray and I right behind her. Cobra leans up from the ground and mutters, "One day, we will find a way to get even. You'll be sorry you ever messed with us."
Of course my hearing picks it up and he's obviously surprised when I say, "We'll see." We walk around the corner and smile at each other. "This is our secret." Gray tells us, "We shouldn't be using our powers." "Can't Lucy just erase their memories?" I ask. "No." Lucy says, "I want them to remember they're not allowed to pick on people anymore."
She's right. They should know that they're not the most powerful people in the school. I see Wendy and Erza walk around the corner ahead of us. "Hi guys, what's going on?" little Wendy asks. "Lucy just used her spirit of strength powers to put some bullies in their place." I say proudly. "Really?" Erza asks looking at Lucy. She nods her head happily. "We decided to keep it our little secret." Gray says.
     Our conversation is interrupted by Levy as she joins us and asks, "So, did you win? I mean, are they gone?" Lucy giggles, "Yeah, if they give you any trouble just tell me." Levy smiles and the conversation continues.
I glance at Lucy and can't help but smile. She looks so....happy. I find myself just staring at her, taking it in. She's happy. I like seeing her happy. I'm happy too. I look around the circle and realize everyone here is happy. Happiness is a new feeling for us, and I'm loving every second of it.

                                -Meanwhile-

     A dark figure watches a small group of teenagers talk outside their school. He pulls out one of his gadgets and zooms in on each of them. One by one, he scans their genes. His lips curl into an evil smile. He pulls out a phone and dials a number, never taking his eyes off the kids. "Hey," he says, "I found them.........Yes, she's with them........Are you sure sir?........Understood.......Don't worry, I'll bring them in." He puts his phone back in his pocket and reads the familiar label on his gadget and suit, The Indigo Project.
     He pulls out a special gadget from his suit and strokes the side of it gently. It looks like a cross between a shot and a gun. He puts a purple pill into the gun and makes sure everything's in order. "By the time I'm done with you," he chuckles quietly, "you'll wish you never left the lab."