Chapter 37

Red eyes remained intently focused on the two sets of keys lying on the table. Archer was successful in gathering all of her hidden keys and as she sat there in thought she wondered why she hid them in the first place. What was the point of that? She could have just taken them with her, couldn't she? So why did she see the need to hide them? She didn't know. She didn't bother dwelling on the thought for too long. She finally had all her keys which meant she was free to go on her dėsɨrėd missions. Since becoming an S-Class wizard she had only attended one job of that rank and that had been six months back. Now, however, things have changed. Now she planned on doing what she had wanted to for some time now. She still wanted to be a wizard saint and in order to achieve that goal she must be recognized, not that she isn't already. The keys were put away as her focus drifted to the second floor. Laxus was still not a big fan of her. She hasn't went up there in some time. The last time she went up there Laxus wasn't too happy. Why? Well, he didn't believe she deserved her new title. Why? Because she didn't take the test with everyone else. He was pissed at his grandfather for giving her another test. He was mad at her for getting special treatment. Because of the separate tests Fairy Tail got two new S-Class wizards instead of the one. Of course the other was Erza.

"You going up to the second floor?" Erza wondered as she followed her gaze. It had been some time since they last went on a mission.

"Yes I am" Archer nodded a smile starting to form. "Laxus won't be too happy to see me up there. I wonder what he'll do this time"

Erza didnt answer that. She was aware of how much Archer enjoyed tormenting the dragon slayer. He had tried to beat her many times in the last year, to no avail. He just refused to accept that she was stronger than him, for in his mind no one in the fairy tail guild could meet his power let alone surpass it. To have Archer so easily break whatever fantasy he was living must not be easy for him.

Sad really. While he was filled with hate and anger, Archer was getting a kick out of it.

"Are you going on an S-Class mission?" Natsu appeared at Archer's side once the girl was on her feet and headed to the stairs. She glanced at him, silently asking if he actually thought she would bring him along. Natsu being Natsu either did not catch the silent question or just chose to ignore it. "Can we come?"

"Yeah, we'll be good" Happy added, drifting next to the grinning Natsu.

Archer said nothing for a long while. She kept her gaze on them, wondering if they would ever give up. They would ask her the same question anytime they thought she was going out on a mission and the answer would always be the same. She would not be taking them along. She had many reasons for saying no. Many reasons the two knew of, and yet they found themselves in the same situation countless of times.

"No" Archer said bluntly as she stopped at the stairs, fully facing the two. "I will not bring you along"

"Whyyyy" Natsu whɨnėd with a pout.

"You know why" Archer was calm as she spoke to him. "I always have to pay to repair the damage you cause on any mission you partake in. Until you can make up all that money and until you complete ten missions without an incident you cannot come along with me"

"That's impossible and you know it!" Happy exclaimed dramatically, earning a look of disbelief and betrayal from Natsu. "What? We both know it's true"

"You didn't have to say it"

"Impossible or not I'm not taking you with me until the requirements are met"

With that Archer turned away from them and headed up the stairs. The first person she saw when getting up there was of course Laxus. The older boy stood towering over her, looking down his nose at her with the usual scowl playing on his face. He looked even angrier than usual. It most likely had to do with the fact that Archer was without her mask. Beneath the mask it was even more obvious that she was younger than him. She was adorable and he hated it. He hated that she could easily beat him. What he hated even more was the smile playing on her lips as she stood before him. She tilted her head slightly as her eyes roamed his figure for a moment. She was scrutinizing him again. He hated that too.

"What're you doing up here?" He grumbled as he stood at the top of the stairs, blocking her path. The size comparison between the two was as clear as night and day. His big build blocked her path entirely.

"Oh? We're doing this again are we?"

Another thing Laxus absolutely despised about this girl was the way she spoke to him. Nothing he said could faze her. Her tone would never change, always remaining calm. She was mocking him and he knew it.

"You don't belong here"

"And you do?" She quirked a brow. "Last I remembered we were both S-Class, no?"

"Doesn't make us equal" he took a step towards her, towering over her even more.

"You're right it doesn't" she chuckled. "It clearly doesn't" she moved to the side, he moved as well, continuing to deny her entry.

"Laxus" Evergreen sighed as she called him. How many times would he do this? He knew it was useless. Did he really believe things would turn out differently now.

"Stay out of this"

Archer brought her hands to her pockets as she met Laxus' gaze.

"I would like to pass, Dreyar" Archer said as she looked past him to the mission board. "I'm interested in attending a mission and maybe you didn't know this, but the mission board is behind you. In other words I would like you to move, please"

Laxus glared down at her, daring her to even try to get past him. To his displeasure she didn't move a muscle, clearly not seeing any reason to accept the obvious challenge.

"I'm not moving. So if you want to pass that badly you'll have to move me yourself"

"You're just looking for a fight, aren't you?" Archer questioned. "How many times must we do this Laxus? I'm starting to think you like the taste of defeat"

"Don't mock me!"

"Now now, you better watch your temper there"

Laxus growled and despite everything he told himself before the confrontation, he attacked. The guild went quiet as sparks of lightning touched the air around the two. They were a complete contrast from each other at that moment. Laxus was gritting his teeth in anger while Archer still wore a smile, as calm and unaffected as ever.

"Laxus is about to get his ȧss beat again" Mira said bluntly as she watched the scene unravel before her.

Within the safety of his office Makarov sighed, already knowing what was taking place. It was a usual occurrence in the guild. Laxus could not accept Archer as a part of the guild. He could not accept that she was stronger than him. And most of all he couldn't accept that she was given the same rank as him.

Again there was silence in the guild as everyone kept their focus on the two. The wood around the two was scorched beyond repair, but Archer stood unscathed. In fact the wood beneath her feet did not suffer the same fate as the wood around her.

"Well" she eyed the dark wood around her casually. "Master won't like this at all"

The guild could practically hear Laxus' teeth grind as he glared daggers at the unharmed Archer. Another failed attempt. Nothing he did would ever cause her harm in any way.

"I've had enough of this" he made to raise his fist, most likely planing on connecting it to that deceptively adorable face, but he found himself in a rather familair situation when he couldn't move.

Archer looked him right in the eye, smile turning to a smirk, revealing those sharp teeth. The way she looked at him sent a shiver down his spine. The urge to curl in on himself and retreat made him curse. He was suddenly nothing but prey before her. He had never felt that before. Not when facing her. It seems that mask hid a lot of things from them, didn't it?

Just like that she waved and was gone. Evergreen sighed as Archer appeared before the mission board, eyes only focused on what was to be found there. She had warned her oh so great leader, hadnt she? She had told him not to bother the girl, but of course he didn't listen. He never did.

"How long is he going to be frozen?" She asked the younger girl.

"Five minutes"

"You have no right to treat Laxus so cruelly" Freed spoke, his voice filled with venom.

Archer said nothing in response for her attention was on the chosen mission. It sounded interesting and like a challenge so she took it off the board to fully read through the request. It was only when she pocketed the piece of paper that she looked at Freed. He was never comfortable around her. She would always look at him as if he were nothing but an object. It was as if he was of no importance to her. Which was most likely the case with her.

"And you're saying he has every right to treat me the way he does?" She questioned. "One must treat another the way they wish to be treated. If he treats me as if I'm bellow him and not worth more than the dirt he walked on than I shall gladly return the sentiment"

She smiled as she said that. A dangerous smile they noted. "I'm not very kind to those who treat me badly, you see. And I take great pŀėȧsurė in tormenting them"

With that she turned on her heels and walked off.

"I like her" Bixlow commented with a grin.

~~~~~~~~

"Scarlet" Archer appeared at their table with the chosen mission in hand. She waved it around slightly as she slid into the seat across the redhead. "I have chosen this mission for us"

The mission sheet was placed on the table for her to review. Silver shifted from her place on the table as she too eyed the piece of paper right in front of her.

"Am I coming?" Silver asked after fully informing herself of the mission and exactly how dangerous it would be.

"Of course" Archer petted her head with a small smile.

"She gets to come but we don't!? "Natsu shouted from the other side of the guild. "This is not fair!"

"Silver always goes with Archer" Wendy pointed out from her place near the elder boy. Carla could be found in her arms and she did not look very happy. Natsu's shout irritated her to a dangerous degree.

"We have to defeat a group of unknown creatures" Erza concluded after reading the mission sheet. It would be the first mission of its kind for the two, for the missions they went on mostly involved protecting and or escorting a person or object.Even their first S-Class mission was of that type.

"Yes, should be interesting" Archer was actually looking forward to it. These unknown creatures could actually pack a punch. "It might be a challenge"

"I guess" Erza nodded. "We're leaving tomorow, right?"

"As we always do"

"This village is pretty far away, are we taking the train"

"Yes"

A nod was Erza's only response to that. She'll have to make sure to pack Archer's medicine for her. She could never understand how she forgets her pills as often as she did.

"You know" Archer suddenly remembered something. "Shouldn't we head to your apartment?"

Erza furrowed her brows in confusion at the question. Why would they need to go to her apartment?

"I can see you've forgotten" Archer chuckled. "You said you needed more clothes"

Oh yeah. She did need more clothes. Now that it was brought up she realized she had hardly spent time in her apartment in the last year. Most of her time was spent at Archer's house.

Something Mira always brought to her attention.

"I hardly spend time there" she voiced her thoughts.

"You have an apartment?" Silver questioned, truly confused.

"Yeah?"

"Of course she wouldn't know since you practically live with me" Archer snickered. "We might as well transfer all your belongings to my house"

"Yeah, we should" Erza said almost immediately after, earning her a curious glance.

"What is this I hear about moving in together?" Mira was suddenly at their table, having caught only the last couple of sentences of their conversation.

Erza sighed. "It must be hard"

"Huh?" Mira was obviously confused by the words. "What must be hard?"

"Minding your own business" Erza said with a smug smile.

From her place at the bar Cana almost chocked on the beer she had managed to steal.

"Damn"