After the previous night's events, Natsu and his companions walked calmly. Having learned that Natsu was wanted for his mother's disappearance, they bought him a hooded jacket to avoid recognition.
Natsu – *Nothing's changed...* – he whispered, looking at the bustling streets – *I missed the city.*
Lucy – *You like the city?*
Natsu – *Of course!* – he smiled – *But I prefer the camp. It's cool and safe.*
The two demigods laughed.
Gray gave a small smile, seeing them get along – *These two are weird...* – he chuckled softly.
Lucy – *We need to find a way to gather information...*
Her words caught Gray's attention.
Gray – *Wait... I know a place where we can get information!*
Natsu – *Huh? Where?* – he was curious.
Gray smirked – *Follow the master.*
Lucy and Natsu exchanged confused looks – *O-Okay...*
Gray led the way, guiding the demigods. He seemed serious, but inside, he was thrilled to contribute to the mission.
Minutes later, Gray stopped, causing Lucy and Natsu to halt as well. Natsu stared at the café ahead, seeing tables through large windows, waitresses in maid outfits with cat ears and tails, and customers constantly coming and going.
Lucy frowned – *Seriously? A maid café?*
Gray grinned – *Dead serious! The owner's a friend of mine. He's practically the eyes and ears of his place. He knows everything that happens in Manhattan.*
Natsu looked at the sign. The name was in English, which he struggled to read, but suddenly the letters shifted into Greek, which he understood easily – *Midnight Cats?*
Gray – *Yup. That's the place* – he pointed at the sign – *It's in two languages: English and Greek. My friend set it up so magical beings and demigods can read it.*
Natsu sighed – *Let's go in. This place might give us some info.*
Lucy – *Yeah, maybe. Let's see if we can find something valuable...*
Gray entered first, followed by Lucy and Natsu. Inside, Lucy found the place even more surprising: neatly arranged tables, waitresses with cat ears and tails, and a bartender who caught Natsu's attention with his six arms.
Natsu – *That guy...*
Gray – *Shh... Don't talk so loud... You can't draw attention.*
Natsu – *R-Right...*
Lucy – *Let's go, Gray. Take us to your 'friend'* – she made air quotes.
Gray – *Alright, alright* – he sighed, walking to the counter – *Nuts have life. Peanuts are gross. Your mom, that pig, is a beautiful woman. Coke's kids come together for winged stars.*
The bartender stopped shaking his glasses. He glanced over Gray's shoulder at the demigods.
Bartender – *Peanuts that fall upright hit the ground. Rotten fruit is never thrown out. You can go beyond, 'cause a hurricane won't take you* – he smiled – *And united stars are beautiful.*
Gray laughed. He walked back to his friends, facing them – *The six-armed guy there...* – he pointed at the man waving with all six arms – *Said we can talk to the boss. Let's go?*
The demigods nodded and followed Gray toward the noisy kitchen, filled with clanging metal and shouts for dishes. They stayed silent until Lucy broke it:
Lucy – *What were you and that guy talking about?* – she was curious, not understanding a word.
Gray – *Code. My friend taught me for when I need to talk to him.*
Natsu – *But we didn't get it... Can you explain what it means?*
Gray – *Sure, why not?* – he replied calmly – *I said: 'Nuts have life' means we're here to talk to the boss. 'Peanuts are gross' means we're not monsters. 'Your mom, that pig, is a beautiful woman' means we come in peace. 'Coke's kids come together for winged stars' means you two are with me.*
Lucy – *But what did he say?* – she recalled the bartender's disjointed words.
Gray – *Oh, what he said?* – he laughed – *Well, he said: 'Peanuts that fall upright hit the ground' means it's okay for us to see the boss. 'Rotten fruit is never thrown out' means the info we want won't come free* – he sighed – *'You can go beyond, 'cause a hurricane won't take you' means it's fine, he won't stop us from talking to my friend. And 'united stars are beautiful' means he thinks you two are a cute couple.*
The demigods blushed.
Gray smiled – *These two are gonna be a handful...* – he looked ahead, spotting dark brown hair – *AZUMA!* – he exclaimed.
The man turned – *Gray? Buddy, it's been a while!*
Gray – *You bet!* – they did a handshake – *So, how's life?*
Azuma – *A drag, man. The Cloven Hoof Counselors are nagging me for bringing some nymphs and magical beings from camp here* – he scratched his neck, smiling awkwardly.
Gray – *I feel you... They made me tag along with these two on their quest* – he pointed at the demigods.
Azuma – *Hmm?* – he studied the two – *Demigods?*
Gray – *Yup...* – he replied calmly.
Azuma – *I can tell the girl's a daughter of Athena. But the boy? His scent's too distorted...*
Gray – *The girl's Lucy Heartphilia, and the boy's Natsu Dragneel.*
Azuma's eyes widened. He grabbed Gray's collar – *Are you crazy? Bringing that kid here is dangerous!*
Gray gave an awkward smile, sweating – *Sorry. But you're our only option. We've got no one else* – he spoke quickly – *We need info. Once you help, I swear we'll leave.*
Azuma released Gray's shirt – *Fine. Tell me what you want. Maybe I've got what you're looking for, then you'll leave, right?*
Lucy stepped forward – *Yes.*
Azuma ran a hand through his hair, impatient – *Alright. Spill it.*
Natsu – *We want to know who stole the gods' divine weapons...* – he answered.
Azuma's eyes widened – *You're kidding, right?* – his jaw trembled – *You're after the legendary weapons? Do you know how dangerous that is?*
Lucy – *Of course we do* – she said seriously – *But we need to stop the gods from starting a war, especially now that Kronos is rising.*
Azuma ran his hands through his hair again, annoyed – *Man, why'd you have to ask *that*? Anything but that!*
Gray – *We don't have time, Azuma! Tell us, and we'll go* – he snapped.
Azuma rolled his eyes – *I know little. I heard recently that the gods' weapons were stolen* – he sighed – *A few days ago, I overheard a customer say Hades stole them. That's all I know!*
Lucy – *Hades? Didn't they steal his weapon too?*
Azuma – *I don't know! Now get out! You promised you'd leave after I told you what I know!*
Lucy – *You sure?* – her eyes darkened – *If you know something, tell us now.*
Azuma – *Huh. I-I don't know anything!* – he defended himself.
Lucy smirked sinisterly – *Just so you know: we've got a monster magnet right here. If you don't cooperate, maybe we should spend the night...*
Azuma's eyes widened – *You're a real monster, girl...* – he whispered – *Fine. I'll tell you, but it's not a good idea to go there.*
Lucy – *Hurry up...*
Natsu – *She's scary!* – he gulped.
Azuma – *A while back, I heard weird things were happening at the Parthenon.*
Lucy – *The replica of my mom's temple?* – she found it odd.
Azuma – *Yeah. They say magical beings, demigods, and even humans are disappearing underground. That's why there aren't many visitors; people are scared* – he sighed – *But seriously, that's all I know.*
Lucy – *Alright. Thanks for your help.*
Azuma returned a smile – *No problem...* – he said calmly – *Now get out!*
Lucy chose not to respond. She knew she and Natsu would soon be tracked by monsters, so they'd better leave.
Outside the maid café, the trio walked calmly.
Natsu – *What now?* – he asked, hoping one of them knew what to do.
Gray – *We'll take the subway to the Parthenon. There, we'll check if the disappearances of people, magical beings, and demigods are linked to the stolen weapons.*
Two hours later, after buying subway tickets—traumatized by buses—Natsu looked out the window – *This is getting complicated...* – he glanced at people staring at him and his friends – *If they call the police, they'll take me to the station or child services. I can't be questioned. What would I say? 'I was on a drive with my mom, but we took a detour and ran into a three-meter cyclops.' That won't fly!* – he sighed.
Lucy – *You okay, Natsu?* – she approached him – *You seem kinda down...* – she noted.
Natsu gave an awkward smile – *It's nothing, Lucy. I'm fine. Just, uh, feeling uneasy with those people staring...* – he discreetly pointed at them – *It's really uncomfortable.*
Lucy – *Don't worry. Gray confirmed they're not monsters... And if they are, we'll just run when...* – she was cut off as people pushed her, making her stumble – *H-Hey! Stay back!* – she tried to push Natsu away, seeing how close he was.
Natsu – *Shhh... Quiet. Stay close.*
Lucy – *Huh?* – she didn't understand – *What're you talking about?*
Natsu – *Don't you see? Those old ladies staring at us?*
Lucy – *Old ladies?* – she frowned.
Natsu saw three old ladies nearby, smiling creepily. They wore black coats, had white hair, yellow smiles with missing teeth. One held a bundle of yarn, another the end of it, and the middle one had scissors.
Lucy – *What're you talking about? I don't see anything.*
Natsu – *You don't see those old ladies right there...* – he pointed at them.
Lucy – *No. I don't see anything* – she looked back, seeing nothing – *Natsu, you okay?*
Natsu – *Yeah...* – he replied calmly. But his attention was drawn when the middle lady waved as if saying goodbye.
The lady smirked sinisterly, bringing the scissors to the yarn, slowly cutting it.
Natsu's eyes widened, his heart skipping a beat – *They...* – he clutched his chest, gripping his shirt.
Lucy – *Natsu? Hey, Natsu!* – she worried as he fell to his knees.
Natsu gripped his chest tightly, feeling an inexplicable pain, like being stabbed.
Lucy – *You okay? You're getting really pale* – she worried, seeing his state.
Natsu – *Yeah... I don't know what happened, but I felt a pain in my chest like... like someone stabbed me.*
Lucy felt something catch in her throat, remembering something. But her attention shifted to the woman's voice over the speakers.
*"Dear passengers, the next stop is Nashville. Please disembark carefully. No commotion, please. Thank you."*
Lucy knelt beside Natsu, slinging his arm over her shoulder to help him up – *Come on! Get up. We're here.*
Minutes later, sitting on a bench, Natsu's breathing slowly normalized.
Natsu – *Thanks, Lucy...* – he thanked her.
Lucy looked away, blushing – *It was nothing... but... what happened?*
Natsu – *I don't know... I just saw those three old ladies cut that yarn... I...*
Lucy – *Old ladies? Yarn? Wait* – her eyes widened – *Could it be... No... It can't be...*
Natsu – *Can't be what?* – he didn't understand her disjointed words.
Lucy gulped. It couldn't be what she was thinking, could it? – *If it is, that means his fate will be...* – she gritted her teeth – *Death.*
Natsu – *Huh? Death? What do you mean?*
Lucy – *Those old ladies... They were the Fates.*
Hours later, after Gray rejoined them, the group headed toward the Parthenon. Lucy didn't show it, but she was excited to see it.
Lucy – *Did you know the Parthenon replica in Manhattan was made with the same materials as the one in Greece?*
Natsu – *Really?* – he grumbled, uninterested – *The Fates. So those old ladies were the Fates? The ones who control the destinies of mortals and gods?* – he sighed – *And to think I'll die* – he shivered – *The real question is how much time I have.*
Natsu snapped out of his thoughts as Lucy tugged his shirt.
Lucy – *What're you thinking about so much?*
Natsu sighed deeply – *Just shocked that I'll die.*
Gray gave an awkward smile – *You don't know for sure. So don't worry too much.*
Natsu growled – *'Don't worry,' huh? You mean I should just die and not care? This is serious!*
Lucy – *Of course not! You think we'll let you die?* – she smiled awkwardly at him – *No way. And we won't leave you alone for something to happen.*
Natsu – *I feel so much safer* – he replied sarcastically.
Lucy sighed. Her attention shifted to the large park they entered and the massive white-pillared monument with a lagoon behind it – *The Parthenon* – she whispered.
Gray – *Looks like it. Let's go* – he walked toward it, followed by Natsu and Lucy.
At the Parthenon, the group entered through the main gate, surprised by the spacious, well-decorated interior. Ahead, a huge statue loomed at the back of the hall. Nearby, a staircase led to the second floor. The floor was tiled with white, slightly grayed ceramic.
Despite Azuma's claim of low crowds, Natsu noticed the place was bustling.
Natsu – *Wow! It's really beautiful* – he scanned the hall.
Lucy – *Yeah...* – she smiled – *This is the Parthenon. My mom's temple* – she blushed slightly – *It's really gorgeous...*
Natsu smiled at her flushed cheeks. He looked at the statue, noticing a Greek name at its base that shifted into something he could read – *...Athena.*
Lucy – *Huh?* – she didn't understand.
Natsu smiled – *The name on the statue is Athena. Your mom's name, right?*
Lucy smiled – *Yes.*
Gray sighed heavily – *Let's go. Too many people here. Let's walk around and check what's going on.*
Lucy/Natsu – *Yeah* – they agreed with Gray's idea.
Hours later, in the small janitor's closet, the group emerged fully armed. Natsu held his pen in his right hand and his mother's silver coin in his left. Lucy held Pandora's pen. Gray had a bamboo flute.
Gray – *Let's go. No one should be here at this hour. But stay quiet* – he saw his friends nod – *Alright. Here we go.*
Minutes later, they searched quietly for anything monstrous, checking every corner but finding nothing. They gave up and headed to the staircase leading underground.
Natsu – *That guy, Azuma, said 'weird things' were happening underground, right?* – he recalled the man's words.
Lucy – *Yeah. That's why we're going down to check* – she descended the stairs, followed by the boys – *We'll investigate and see what's going on.*
At the bottom, they were stunned by the vast space.
Gray whistled, awestruck – *It's huge.*
Lucy – *Yeah, too huge...* – she whispered, confusing Natsu and Gray – *This place is massive. We can't check every corner to find what's attacking magical beings and mortals. If we split up, we risk being attacked* – she looked at Natsu – *If he finds the monster... it'd be dangerous, since he'd be vulnerable while tracking it...* – she bit her lip, frustrated – *Damn it! We can't locate the monster without one of us getting hurt...*
Natsu – *Hey, Lucy! You still there?!*
Lucy – *Huh?* – she snapped back – *Yeah, I'm here. Just thinking...* – she breathed – *We'll have trouble finding the monster. If it hasn't attacked yet, even with you here, Natsu, it's not an ordinary monster...*
Natsu turned his pen into a sword – *A smart monster, huh?* – he smirked – *Doesn't matter if it's smart. We've got you, Lucy, daughter of Athena.*
Lucy blushed at his confident smile – *Alright... I need to think* – she scanned the area, noticing pipes on the ceiling and walls leading to various directions – *The ones up there must be air ducts, the ones below for electricity, but where's the water line?* – she grumbled – *Even as Virgo's son and Zeus's grandson, he doesn't fully control electricity* – she recalled the bus incident – *He just bent the storm and made lightning hit the road... He can't control his powers yet... If he could use his authority...* – she smiled, realizing – *Let's go. I know how to find and lure the monster.*
Natsu – *Alright. Tell us how we'll make it appear.*
Lucy – *Gray will be our bait.*
Gray – *Huh? W-What do you mean?*
Lucy smiled, explaining the plan to lure the monster.
Gray trembled, grasping her suicidal plan – *You're kidding, right? This is practically suicide!*
Lucy sighed – *I know. But you, Gray, need to understand that Natsu and I have key roles in this plan, and...*
Gray – *And I don't, so I'm expendable!* – he interrupted, shouting.
Natsu put a hand on Gray's shoulder – *Don't worry, Gray* – he gave a thumbs-up – *Your role's important too. Be the bait with pride. One day, we'll save the world, and it'll be thanks to you being the bait.*
Gray – *Natsu...*
Lucy looked at them, exasperated – *Are you guys gay?*
Natsu/Gray – *Of course not!*
Natsu sighed – *We need you to do this, Gray. It's important.*
Gray gulped – *Fine. I'll do it. But when we get back to camp, I'm eating all the metal cans in peace, got it?*
Lucy – *Alright, goat-man. As many cans as you want* – she punched his shoulder – *Now go!*
Gray removed his shoes, revealing his hooves, leaned his crutches against the wall, and took his flute from his pocket to start the plan. He walked in the direction Lucy instructed, following the pipes, recalling her orders.
Behind him, the demigods followed to guard his back in case of an attack. Both had their weapons ready.
Natsu – *What do you think it is?* – he whispered, referring to the monster.
Lucy – *I'm not sure. But if it's what I think, we're in trouble.*
Natsu glanced at her – *How bad?*
Lucy – *Big trouble.*
Gray kept walking, feeling the cold emanating from the place. It wasn't too dark, but the flickering or dead lights made it eerie. Still, he followed Lucy's instructions, even if it killed him.
Gray – *I have to do this...* – he stopped, bringing the flute to his mouth – *If this thing doesn't show, we'll have bigger problems* – he started playing.
The flute's sound filled the space, a beautiful note. But Gray's desperation seeped into the music. Suddenly, he stopped at a hoarse noise.
Gray – *That's...* – his eyes widened as he saw what approached – *Flortgear Mardds?!* – he shouted, recognizing the monster charging at him.
The monster was a bizarre amalgamation: ten snake heads hissing, a scaly lizard body, a lion-like scaly face, two swords in its hands, and hair like a vulture's nest from the stench.
Natsu – *What is that?!* – he shouted, running with Lucy.
Lucy – *Flortgear Mardds! I didn't think it'd be her!* – she summoned an arrow in her bow, firing it – *Damn it!* – it had no effect – *Gray, run faster! We need to get to the second floor!*
As they climbed the stairs, Natsu noticed strange holes in the monster's body, as if it had been tortured.
Flortgear roared, chasing the demigods and satyr faster, angered by Gray's sappy tune.
Reaching the second floor, the group exchanged glances. Without pausing to look around, they scattered.
Lucy, running, spotted a large window facing the nearby lagoon – *Just as I planned!* – she smiled, realizing three parts of her plan were complete – *Now I just need to get Flortgear to the right spot for him to attack!* – she sped up, turning right.
Suddenly, she saw Natsu running toward her. They turned, running side by side.
Natsu – *The plan?* – he asked, panting.
Lucy – *All good! We just need to...* – she was cut off by a feminine scream echoing through the hall.
Natsu/Lucy – *Gray!* – they remembered the satyr.
They ran toward the scream, but saw Gray sprinting past them.
Gray – *It's on you!* – he shouted, still running.
Natsu/Lucy – *Huh?* – they didn't understand until they saw the monster – *Hey! Damn it!*
The three ran together, the monster close behind. Lucy tried firing energy arrows again, but they had no effect.
Natsu – *Damn it! The plan's off the rails! What can I do?* – he thought – *Think... Think... Pipes... Air ducts... Water pipes... Lagoon... Electricity...* – his eyes widened – *That's it!* – he got his friends' attention.
Lucy – *What's it?!*
Natsu – *I have a plan! Handle the monster for now!* – he turned right, running that way.
Lucy – *What?! You're kidding, right?!* – she shouted.
Natsu stopped in front of the large window – *Hope this works...* – he stretched his hand toward it. He felt the air bend and distort. A howling roar shattered the glass – *Yes... I did it!* – he smiled, despite cuts from the glass. He looked at the thundering sky – *Now, the other part* – he eyed the electrical and gas pipes – *Not just air ducts, but gas* – he smiled, pulling his mother's silver coin from his pocket, turning it into a spear – *Here we go!* – the spear's tip sparked with flames, and he threw it at the gas pipe.
The Parthenon shook as the gas pipe exploded.
Natsu – *It's getting hot...* – he smiled, seeing the place engulfed in flames – *Gray! Lucy! Now!* – he shouted.
Soon, he saw his friends running desperately, sweating from the fire.
Gray – *Are you crazy?! Why'd you blow up the gas pipe?!*
Natsu – *Tch! Doesn't matter!* – he pointed at the window – *Jump!*
Lucy/Gray – *What?!* – they gasped.
Natsu – *Now!*
Lucy and Gray nodded, running as fast as they could and jumping toward the lagoon.
Natsu, seeing his friends land safely in the water, faced the monster, which had stopped – *Now it's you and me* – he smirked.
Flortgear hissed like a snake, charging at Natsu, ready to pierce him with its swords.
Natsu smiled. A lightning bolt struck him, electrifying him from head to toe – *Am I gonna die?!* – he felt his arm hairs burn – *But I'm taking you with me!* – he swung his sword at the monster. The bronze deflected the lightning with such force that it pierced Flortgear's chest, throwing Natsu backward.
Falling, Natsu looked at the thundering sky – *Will I die here?* – he whispered, feeling his body plummet. But like magic, the lagoon's water embraced him, pulling him under.
Opening his eyes, Natsu realized he was alive and underwater. He could see clearly, as if on land. The cuts from the glass healed, as if the water had curative powers. His strength returned, his mind sharpened. The water restored his senses. Though he felt no air, he breathed calmly. He felt better underwater.
*– Natsu...*
A voice whispered in his mind, making him turn toward it. He saw nothing.
*– Natsu...*
The voice whispered again, and this time he saw its source: a girl. The water made her hair's color shift between blue, red, and white.
Natsu – *Who are you?* – he asked mentally, as she approached.
Girl – *My name doesn't matter...* – she smiled – *In Poseidon's name, your father, I've come to give you this...* – she extended her hand, revealing three small pearls.
Natsu – *What are these?* – he took them from her.
Girl – *A gift from your father. He knows, Natsu, that you're the only hope to stop this coming war. That's why he blessed you, because you're the only one who can defeat Kronos* – her body began to fade – *Defeat Kronos. Save Olympus. Save the world from the calamity of time approaching...*
Natsu watched her vanish into the water. He looked up, seeing familiar faces through the waves. He swam to the surface, air filling his lungs.
Lucy – *Natsu!* – she exclaimed as he surfaced.
Natsu saw her worried face. Standing and exiting the water, his strength drained, and he would've collapsed if Lucy hadn't caught him.
Natsu – *Did we do it?* – he asked, his eyes heavy, feeling Lucy gently stroke his hair.
Lucy smiled – *Yes. Thanks to you... My idiot hero* – she whispered, kissing his forehead – *Just rest... We'll have more problems tomorrow.*