All because of a fight and a job request

Ch 22

Natsu pov

Levy's gone to sit back down with the group and explain to them what's going on... I'm beginning to worry.. LeVay's had Lucy in her office for a while now.. she seemed really agitated to start with let alone Lucy running her mouth at her.. she better not have touched Lucy, I swear.. I then see her walking down the stairs back to me.. she's wearing a black and purple scarf around her neck.. and before she can even reach me.. I smell burning flesh.. she has a pained expression she was trying to hide from me.. "Hey, I'm sorry to do this, I really want to stay with you and finish talking but something's come up that madam is requiring I help take care of for her.. it's an urgent matter." I reach up for her scarf and just as she's about to swat my hand away I catch it with my other hand.. She gives a surprised expression.. I continue for the scarf.. she whispers in a shaky voice, "please don't.." My hands have barely reached the fabric before I freeze, her hair is covering her eyes but I can see tears streaming down her cheeks.. I look back at her scarf and tug it down lightly.. I gasp at what I see.. a burn mark with slight bleeding in the perfect shape of a hand.. the skin is singed and red and looks painful.. I look back up at her with pain in my heart and say "Lucy..." she moves my hand away and apologizes again before skittering off upstairs.. The group has gotten up and now stood behind or sat beside me.. "What happened?" Erza asks. A growl erupts from my chest, "That bitch LaVey hurt Lucy.. had her by the throat and burned her. She's sending her out on a job to "take care of" something for LaVey." Levy speaks up, "she's been given a target to kill." Erza says with a determined expression, "We have to stop her.. we know what it's doing to her, and we just can't let her take another life in the name of LaVey." We all nod in agreement.. "Lets go outside and find Happy and the others, fill them in on everything, and then find a place to hide and wait for Lucy to come out... we'll confront her then" With that we head out the door. 

Normal pov

Team Natsu has made it outside and down the street from the tavern a ways when they see and wave down the exceeds.. they all fill them in on what they've learned and leaves them completely speechless. Happy sniffles, "poor Luce, we have to help her Natsu!!" We all made sounds of agreement. "We will little buddy! We're running out of time standing here though.. LaVey sounded like this needed to be done NOW so we need to get moving... I doubt Lucy will walk out the front of the tavern dressed up in assassin wear.. Did you guys find any other points of entry at the tavern when we were inside?" Natsu looks at Happy.. "We did. Three of them.. there's a back entrance and side entrance on the left as well as an escape hatch through the roof." He replies. "That's where she'll come out from." We all look at Erza.. "From what we understand, her assassin work is very discreet.. meaning she doesn't want to be seen while in the middle of leaving for, completing, or coming back from her job." Charla interrupts, "Erza was right..  look!" We all look to where she's pointing and we can see Lucy atop the tavern dressed in all black..  she's looking away from us with the wind blowing her hair behind her and I see something glisten in her hands.. a sai.. two of them. She WAS ordered to kill. "Let's go!" I say as we see her jump from the roof and head south of the town.

Lucy pov

I'm once again left in the dark about any prominent details about my target.. Just that he tried to attack LaVey and she barley escaped with her life and men unharmed.. I don't understand.. she has destruction magic.. if he's such a threat to her, why didn't she handle him herself?? Why do I have to dirty my hands yet again for her? She gave me an address and said to head straight there through the upstairs window.. shouldn't be difficult to handle.. I've had to do it times before.. it's always easier to handle this crap in a more open area though.. open but secluded like the alleyways by the tavern. Going into residential homes makes things a little tricky.. I'm left unfamiliar with my surroundings leaving plenty of opportunities for mistakes... and LaVey won't tolerate any mistakes or slip ups no matter the reason behind them.. My target is a male living on the south side of the city.. silver and black highlighted hair with a salt and pepper beard to match.. tall and muscular build around the age of 55. I am to strike when he falls asleep. LaVey has warned he's fairly powerful and to wait to make my move once he's asleep to save myself from getting hurt, to remain on guard and have a contingency plan or as she put it "wait till he's asleep.. I can't afford to lose my best asset or before I have a chance to use you for my plans later on.. use this if necessary" I bare my teeth at the thought and let out the most animalistic sound I'd ever heard escape my mouth.. she truly did get under my skin and make me furious. I see the light upstairs flicker off.... It's time.