To Be Contained || Gratsu

The Missing Backbone

Word Count: 705

Warning: Natsu says one word of profanity

I had some ideas and decided to post an early chapter. Feel free to give me feedback and suggestions!

A week had passed, and yet no sign of the boisterous dragon slayer had turned up. Fairy Tail was eerily quiet, frightening the townsfolk of Magnolia. Happy was staying with Lucy at all times, thoughts of fish completely removed from his mind while his best friend was missing. Gray knew that Natsu had always been there, but without him, the guildhall seemed to have lost all color. He dropped his head onto the battered oak table once again, frustrated fingers toying with his own hair. What could have happened to that careless idiot? The ice mage placed a hand to his stomach, willing himself not to spew the contents of the organ over the tabletop.

Erza had been constantly in a tizzy, searching for clues and culprits, but coming back empty-handed. When Titania finally reached a gloomy state as well, the entire guild radiated an aura of hopelessness. Natsu was the one who never gave up when times were tough. The one who had unflinching faith in his guild, no matter the circumstance. The one who encouraged his guildmates with just his fiery attitude. The Fairy Tail before Gray was a pitiful rendition of what once was. The dragon slayer had truly been a backbone for all the members, but the team wasn't going to accept defeat.

"We shall search again!" Erza exclaimed, raising her gauntlet-covered fist into the air. "We will find Natsu and bring him home!" A few cheers echoed her enthusiasm, but most of the guild was silent. Master Makarov smiled, proud of the children he had raised. He knew that Erza, among others, would not cease the hunt until his problem child returned home. And if anyone could find Natsu, it would be Fairy Tail's strongest team.

//with Natsu//

"Hello, little Salamander," cooed the manic man. The mage growled in response, struggling to move any part of his body. The stranger removed the blindfold for the first time, grinning wildly with his tongue poking out sloppily. Natsu finally saw the man's face and instantly wanted to recoil.

"Let me go, you bastard!" the fiery tempered male bellowed, baring his edged fangs in outrage.

"You aren't going anywhere. In fact, you can stay in here until you learn not to talk back to me." The cloaked man drew closer, crouching to enter Natsu's personal space. Another chilling laugh made its way from his throat, rattling in his chest. The incapacitated wizard cringed as saliva dripped onto his nose from above. "You belong to me now, Salamander, and you had better get used to it." With that last remark, he left, opening and shutting a door with a harsh, grating noise.

Natsu had honestly heard worse threats, but he had never truly been powerless before. He had had his magic sapped, but he had still had his fists. This time, he had nothing but his sharp tongue, though he didn't know just how far he could go with his wits alone. The dragon turned his neck awkwardly, attempting to rub the sticky liquid from his nose, but to no avail. With his hands frozen behind him and his legs knelt underneath himself, he had no leverage to do so. He released a gentle sigh, testing his arms again for any hint of movement. His muscles, along with his senses, hadn't recovered from whatever his kidnapper had done to him before.

Time seemed to tick forward like a dragon slayer towards transportation, making minutes feel like hours, and hours like days. Natsu knew his appetite would become a problem some day, but going without food for however long he had been going without food was nearly too much to handle. His eyes fluttered shut again, his head bouncing back against some solid material he couldn't identify. True to his word, the man had left him in the darkened room, not even returning to taunt him. The monotony of silence and groans of his angered stomach grew boring to the slayer, not that they ever really held any novelty.

Erza, a-and Gray, and Lucy, they'll find me, he reminded himself nervously. They won't quit until they beat this sicko up, so there's nothing to worry about. They've got my back, no matter what.