Thorn in his Side

Chapter 30 - Cobra

Hiro Mashima owns Fairy Tail.

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"Congrats Lucy, looks like you made a new friend." Gray said with a smile.

"Oh, yes. I am all about making new friends." Corvus all but purred as he walked up to Gray. Mard wasn't certain if it was him or Gray who rolled their eyes first.

Have fun icicle slut!

"Mard, fuck you." The devil slayer shot back.

"He's unavailable, but I'm right here, delicious."

He tried. Mard did really try to hold it together. Rosebud made it impossible, she picked up real quick how to use his telepathy against him. The mental image of a freshly plucked raven being chased around by a naked Gray while reciting The Raven by Poe entered his head. "Nevermore." She whispered and Mard lost it.

"Oh god...please, just stop." The former demon was on his knees holding his sides as he laughed.

"He looks good on his knees huh?" Corvus asked.

"If you have five minutes, I can show you how well he strips too." Gray smirked.

Mard shrugged and flashed the ice mage a mildly devious grin. "Go for it Gray, see how likely you are to get our new friend and dare I say it, a better looking Juvia replacement away from you."

Rosebud coughed, "Gray, pants."

"It's like he provides his own fan service! I love this man. Can I keep him, Lucy?" Corvus asked his eyes wide.

"Corvus, we don't keep people." Rosebud said as she grabbed his hand.

"I'll keep his cage clean and fresh water for bird baths." The raven shot back and Mard gave him a small golf clap in appreciation.

"Think Rosebud, if we are apart from each other, having Corvus around will remind you of all my wonderful trolling abilities."

"Now all I need is Cobra and we are all set." Rosebud said with a groan.

"That, should not happen. There is no way you can put Cobra, Mard and Corvus in the same room together. Space would implode." Gray said his voice a little higher pitched.

"Who's a Cobra?" Mard asked.

"Also known as Erik, he's a poison dragon slayer. He's a character." Rosebud said as she pulled Corvus away from Gray. Mard delighted in watching her show rage to someone other than him.

"That's being polite, the guy is an asshole. Correction king of assholes." Gray tapped his lips, "Holy Epic God of Assholes. In fact I think in a Snark Off, Mard, he may have you beat."

"So where do I find this impressive person so that I can prove my snark capabilities are in fact legendary?" He asked.

"Oh! I can do that!" Corvus quipped. Mard and Gray looked over at the raven who was in the middle of being hugged. Rosebud just had a way with people that encouraged all the huggings. As long as it was just hugging, otherwise there might be some murder involved.

"Do wha...." Magic flooded the area and Mard found himself immersed in an old familiar sensation. Teleportation magic had its own energy to it. The feeling of being compressed and projected at thousands of miles per second was not something you'd forget. Most people couldn't handle it easily, when Merlin brought everyone back, Natsu and Gajeel made enormous puddles of vomit.

Corvus' was a bit different, it was more subtle. There was still a bit of tightening around the body but not the high speed movements. Instead it was like they passed through another plane of existence. Dark, shadowy tendrils reached out for them as they moved. It took less than two seconds for Mard to realize that they were reaching for Rosebud.