Eye of the Black Dragon

The Walking Guild Hall

When Lucy heard that everyone had returned to what remained of the guild hall, she headed back, with a hopeful expression. Happy was in tow.

However, when the two of them got to the hall basement, they just found a group that was shrouded in a gloom that surpassed last time by far.

"What happened?" Lucy asked as she hurried over to Erza.

"The Master was ambushed," Erza said slowly," We were forced to retreat."

That made Lucy understand why everyone was so dreary. When the guild hall was destroyed, it was not like there was anyone to defend the hall. But this time, they had been right there, and fighting. And not only did they lose, but they had to retreat. They're pride had been hurt, and it wasn't showing any signs of healing.

Meanwhile, Lisanna was trying to contact Laxus.

"What do you want?" Laxus said as he appeared on the Lacrima orb. He looked like he was disturbed from some kind of nap, he didn't look very happy about it.

"Laxus, you have to come help us!"" Lisanna said," The Master has been defeated!" Laxus let out a laugh.

"The geezer is getting to old for this!" he said," Now if I were in charge..."

"Now's not the time!" Lisanna interrupted," We really need your help!"

"If you want my help, you need to give me a promotion," Laxus said with a grin.

"I told you, now is not the time for that!" Lisanna insisted.

"Very well," Laxus said with an insincere shrug," Make sure Phantom Lord plays nice." With that, the image vanished.

Cana let out a sigh, before cringing and swatting her cards away.

"No use," she said," No matter what I do, I can't locate Mystogan or Natsu."

"Not that it would matter," Mirajane said," I doubt Natsu would help us anyway."

"Maybe if he understood that the entire guild was at risk...," Reedus began.

"No way!" Mirajane intercepted," Natsu doesn't have any pride in this guild, so he couldn't care less what happens to it."

As some looked for other members to help them, others, like Macao and Wakaba, were focusing on finding a way to get a strategy.

During all of this, Lucy had explained what had happened to her while everyone was gone, and Erza and Gray explained what happened at Phantom Lord to Lucy. She clenched her skirt.

"So even the Master wasn't a match?" she said in a shaky voice.

"No, it was only because he was caught off guard," Gray said," He was too mad to think of anyone other than Jose."

"Looking at everything in hindsight, I think we were all like that," Erza said, as she averted her eyes," If we hadn't let ourselves get so caught up in our anger, we might have been able to prevail."

"What happened to the Master?" Lucy asked.

"Bisca and Alzack took him to Porlyusica," Erza answered," If anyone can help him it would be her."

"But to think Phantom Lord would dispatch one of its stronger mages to go after Lucy is weird," Gray said.

"I can't help but feel a little offended," Lucy said offhandedly with a sweat drop.

"Could it be that you have something they want?" Erza asked Lucy. Lucy just shook her head slowly.

"No," she answered," I know why they did it." Both mages instantly turned to Lucy.