Welcome to the Mafia Family

Chapter 68 - A Message & An Invitation

Lucy's POV

It's been a week since we've come back from the fun island holiday. I was in my Sorcerer Weekly office writing an article for this morning's Mayor press conference about the latest budget for Magnolia's railways. Gray was my bodyguard for the day, and he was lying bored on my office lounge, throwing a dark blue hand-sized ball in the air and then catching it.

After another few minutes of silence and the sound of the ball smacking against Gray's hand when he caught it, Gray groaned in boredom. I stopped typing and looked up from my computer. It is my fault he's bored since he's forced to be my bodyguard. "I'm sorry you have to be stuck guarding me" I said. He looked over at me guiltily and sat up. "No, don't be sorry. I don't mind being your bodyguard and none of us wants a repeat of what happened last time, especially Natsu. It's just...I'm feeling restless sitting around doing almost nothing instead of being out there helping everyone else look for Acnologia" he explained.

I understood how he felt. The day after we returned from our holiday, I offered to help in some way but Natsu downright refused. "I know how you feel" I said and leaned my head on my hand. Suddenly my mobile rang, I looked at the caller ID and saw it was an unknown number. Thinking it was a work call, I answered it and put the phone up to my ear. "Hello, Lucy speaking" I answered as I usually do with work calls. "Hello Lucy, remember me?" a familiar sinister voice said on the other end. My body stiffened, my blood ran cold, and my eyes widened. "Acnologia" I said and Gray immediately jumped out of his seat in alarm. "Good job. I'm glad you haven't forgotten about me" Acnologia replied. Gray quietly took the phone away from my ear and put it on loud speaker. He handed the phone back and then rolled his pointing fingers around, signalling and mouthing to keep talking. I thought this could be a good way for me to help Natsu.

"What do you want Acnologia?" I asked firmly, trying to be brave. "Well someone has gotten more confident since our last encounter." I could hear his smirk on the other side of the call. "I just want you to relay an important message to Natsu Dragneel" he replied. I looked up at Gray and he gave me a confident nod. He tapped his phone to record our conversation. "Ok, what's your message?" I asked. "'Our final battle is coming and mark my words I will kill you, slowly and painfully.' That's it, have a good day Lucy and I'll see you soon" he replied and then he hung up without waiting for my reply.

I remained frozen, his entire message chilled me to the core but the part that truly petrified me was at the end. 'I'll see you soon' his words echoed through my head. He wasn't referring to Natsu, that was a direct message to...me. Flashbacks of what happened last time I encountered him. My breathing started to become short quick breaths. It felt like I couldn't breathe. My heart felt like it was going to jump out of my chest.

"Lucy! Lucy!" Gray shouted worriedly as he grasped my shoulders and snapped me out of my trance. "Calm down. Natsu and everyone at Fairy Tail won't let Acnologia harm you again" he said and his words helped me calm down. He's right, I have my friends at Fairy Tail to support me so there is no need to fear. "Thanks Gray" I said and gave him a smile. As he smiled back, my phone rang again which made me jump. Was it Acnologia again? I cautiously looked at the caller ID and saw Natsu's name. "It's Natsu" I told Gray. "Wonder what the idiot wants" he rolled his eyes. I answered the phone and put it on loud speaker.

"Hi Natsu" I spoke into the phone. "Hey Beautiful" he replied and Gray groaned. "Do I hear Ice Stripper in the background?" Natsu growled. "Yeah, I put you on loud speaker" I explained. "Did you just ring your girlfriend to flirt with her? Do that when I'm not around Flame Brain!" Gray argued. "You're just jealous that I show affection to my beautiful girlfriend and you don't" Natsu retorted. Gray stood up and walked over to my desk to shout through the phone. "There's a time and place for these things Dragon Breath!" Gray shouted and then they began throwing insults at each other. "Ice Princess!" "Pink-haired punk!" "Frost Bite!" "Pyro!" "Droopy eyes!" "Squinty eyes!" "Snowman!" "Dragon boy!" "Pervy popsicle!" "Fiery mouth breather!" I couldn't hold my laughter in any longer. It was funny seeing these two fighting through the phone like any other fight they usually had. It felt good to laugh, especially after that phone call with Acnologia.

At my sudden laughter, both boys went quiet. Clearly confused with the reason for my laughter. A moment later, Gray smiled like he was happy to see me laugh after what happened earlier. "So, why did you ring Natsu?" I asked. Gray looked at me confused, probably wondering why I wasn't mentioning the call with Acnologia to Natsu yet. I signalled him that I will in a moment. I wanted to give Natsu a chance to say what he wants first before we tell him.

Natsu gasped like he had almost forgotten what he rang me for. "Oh right! I was wondering if you'd like to be my date for a business dinner this Friday night?" he asked. My answer was obvious. "I would love to be your date" I replied. "Great!" he said excitedly. I looked up at Gray, giving him eye contact that we could tell him now. "I'll see you after work. Have a great day" Natsu said and then Gray caught him before he hung up. "Boss, there's something we need to talk to you" he said. Natsu's voice went serious when he heard Gray call him boss. "What is it?" he asked.

"A few minutes before you called, Lucy got an unexpected call" Gray started, easing into the conversation. "From?" Natsu asked impatiently. "Acnologia" Gray finished and Natsu blew up. "WHAT! What did he say?! Tell me what he said!" he demanded furiously. Gray put his phone up and played the recording. By the end of the recording, Natsu was growling. "I won't let him anywhere near Lucy" he said. "Ah, what about the death threat towards you?" Gray asked, confused. "That's not important right now Gray! Get your priorities right! We need to heighten security around Lucy. Tomorrow, no, right now. I'll send over five, no, ten more bodyguards right now!" Natsu was cut off by Gray hanging up the phone.

He sighed in relief, "finally I can think. Now I see why you waited to tell him" he said. After a moment of thinking, he asked "how much longer do you have on that article?" "I'm almost finished" I replied. "Great, as soon as you're done, we'll head straight back to Fairy Tail and get Levy to track that phone number. Maybe we can pinpoint his hideout" he suggested. That sounded like a great plan. This could help Natsu. "Sounds like a plan" I replied and then quickly continued writing my article.