Light 'Em Up

One

"Mama's gone, Lucy. We're all on our own." A tired man reached down to pat a ten year old girl's head. "We gotta take care of ourselves now." Lucy, the girl, nodded solemnly and looked up at her father with big eyes. He handed her two pistols. "These are your new friends." He said. She cradled them happily. He latched a belt onto her waist, and she frowned. It was heavy. She patted the pockets and found bullets and two empty slings. She slipped her new friends into them. "Your life will be hard, Lucy, but don't forget that I love you. I just want you to be prepared. Do you think you're ready for this?" Lucy smiled, her last truly innocent smile. "Yes, daddy," she said. "I'm ready."

Seven years later

"Shit, guys! She's here! Hide it!" Lucy kicked the door down and cocked her loaded gun.

"Hey, boys."

She smiled lazily. Three men stared back, terrified. The sharp smell of urine filled the air as soon as she stepped inside.

"Please, we don't have anything," One of them whimpered. She rolled her eyes and stalked forward. These three fucktards, Rob, Alec, and John, had stolen from her fathers treasury. They weren't about to get away with it.

"Hand over the heroin, and I might let you live." She smiled, cruel and unforgiving. A moment soaked in fear passed. "You might want to hurry.. I don't have much patience."

She shot a bullet into Alec's leg and he howled in pain. "Tick, tock, tick, tock.." John scrambled to his feet and produced the bag of syringes, handing them over to her immediately. She palmed the grubby bag and smiled sweetly. It didn't reach her eyes.

"Thank you~," she trilled, "But we can't let liabilities walk around." She unloaded three bullets and walked away, slipping her gun back in its holster.

"Maybe I should go out for dinner after I drop this off.." she mused. She was used to committing "horrendous" crimes. She felt no guilt. They deserved it. Unfortunately the closest tavern was what felt like millions of blocks away. She handed the package over to Jellal, her brother, who had decided to sit this one out. She left him with a chaste kiss on each cheek and was off with a last "I'll be back soon!" trailing after her.

Of course, they never knew if she'd be back soon. Or ever. There were other drug dealers, there were gangs, and all of the above spat on the name Heartfilia. There was respect and fear and hatred, and Lucy loved it. It was what she'd been raised on; blood, death, drug deals, hate. The sound of screaming. Bullets flying. The delicious look of fear on any piece-of-shits face that dared mock her, Lucy Heartfilia, more ruthless and cunning than Jude himself.

She and Jellal were the last Heartfilias, unfortunately. Their father had died just weeks previous of a heart attack. It had devastated Lucy and sent her reeling over the edge. There was no controlling her. Not ever. Her mentor was gone, and he was her strongest bond to humanity. Under her thin façade Lucy was boiling over in anger, lashing out at anyone and everyone except Jellal. He was her brother and felt her anger and pain as well. The merciful and soft Jellal from her childhood went into the ground with their father. They made the perfect avenging angels. Or maybe demons. Demons sounded better.

Lucy walked into the tavern and signaled to the white haired waitress for a drink, slapping down money for a customary fire whiskey. Her eyes took in the scene around her.

Two petite girls sat next to each other, a taller one hovering protectively over them. Two boys were fighting and a red haired girl surveyed it with slitted eyes. Behind the counter with the white haired barmaid was a white haired boy and a white haired girl, all with matching blue eyes and smiles. It was creepy, and suspicious. Who would have a reason to be happy in Magnolia? It was a hellhole. She set her mug on the counter and her hand drifted idly to her gun.