Team NEGL (Fairy Tail x RWBY)

Chapter 32- And so it Begins...

Natsu, Ruby and Mercury stared down each other. Ruby looked helpless as she was unable to fight at her maximum level without Crescent Rose, and knew there would be nothing she could do in this fight. Natsu was fully equipped with his own weapons, fully stocked and sharpened. Even if he didn't have them, he still had his Semblance which was unmatched in pure power, and was strong enough to punch through titanium anyway. Mercury kept his devious smirk while looking down upon the two, confident he would win without any issue.

"Well, whenever you're ready you two..." Mercury taunted, flipping his hand with a 'come at me' look in his eyes.

"Mercury, what are you doing? You were hurt! Why...?" Ruby demanded, confused as to how someone that was supposedly injured too bad to even walk was standing before them and looking like nothing happened.

"Ruby. Whatever you think of him, whatever 'good' stuff he has in him or whatever he did that made him even seem like a good person. It's all a lie. This lying bastard has been plotting something big this whole time, along with Emerald and Cinder! If we don't stop them, Pyrrha and Penny aren't the only people who you're gonna have to worry about, or even who are gonna get hurt in all of this!" Natsu explained, staring his opponent down with venom in his eyes, slightly scaring Mercury to add more precaution by focusing on him mainly instead of Ruby.

"Natsu! You still haven't said! How do you even know all of this-?!" Ruby mumbled.

"There's no time Ruby! Just stop this fight from happening! If it continues, it'll only be the start of whatever sick fantasy they have planned!"

Ruby was still hesitant. When she looked at Natsu, he had a glare that was completely demonic. No hint of the kind, cheery and carefree Natsu was present in his eyes. All there was left in Natsu's expression was a sliver of his passion for fighting, as well as a seemingly uprising bloodlust that wouldn't be quenched so easily. If Ruby wanted to do something, anything to aid in stopping this chaos, she would have to demand the current match stopped before it was too late. AND, she would have to get out of Natsu's way. Even if she did help, there wasn't guarantee she wouldn't get hurt, and not from Mercury...

Despite still being hesitant, she looked down at the floor in consideration for a few seconds, until finally coming to a decision and looking at Natsu, giving a small nod to indicate she agreed with his orders. Natsu smiled slightly at her cooperation, glad that she understood this was no time to have doubts.

Once they agreed, both combatants turned back to Mercury, who was still grinning that them. Now facing each other eye-to-eye, Mercury entered a combat stance, holding his fists up and hopping on the spot to ensure mobility.

"Let's do this 'friend'..." Mercury coldly said, preparing to fight and raising his hands into a guard.

Without warning, Rub began sprinting at Mercury in a flash, hoping to get past him and reach the announcers to tell them what was happening. Just as Mercury was about to block her pathway, she instantly morphed into a red spiral, becoming even faster to the point of travelling at the speed of sound. Mercury anticipated her move however, and was preparing he kick he into the wall. He was about to make contact, but Natsu then suddenly came charging straight at him, moving even faster than Ruby with her Semblance. In one quick strike, the lizard Faunues slashed Mercury directly in the face, causing him to flinch backwards and cease his attack, allowing Ruby to pass through safely. Once far enough from Mercury, Ruby ceased her spiral and changed to her normal form, running as fast as she could to prevent whatever was happening.

"Oh no you don't girly!" Mercury yelled, lifting his leg up to launch a shot from his shotgun-boots.

Firing a round with a side push kick, the bullet began flying straight at Ruby. It was travelling many times her own running pace, and was about to hit her in the back. Just as it was about to hit, a streak of flames began racing towards it as well, making direct contact and destroying the bullet, burning it to ash almost instantly. Mercury was suprised, turning to Natsu holding his hand out in the direction of Ruby.