Before Natsu even finds Lucy's apartment or scent in the streets of Crocus, but it's still late

"Shut up!"

Hushed whispers huddle around the maternity clinics' lobby corner. A crouched figure and two exceeds at the person's legs. They look around the wall at a woman behind the main counter, she's by herself and scribbling onto some paper. She didn't have a clue they were there.

"Is this even legal?" The tiny blue cat glances up at Sting's crouched form.

"Not remotely!" Sting grins mischievously. "I distract the receptionist lady, then you and Lector sneak into the back, and get those files!"

"Lucy wouldn't want us prying into her business---"

"I know I promised her, but this is tearing me apart! I gotta know! We don't have to tell her!" Sting says and then stands up, ruffling his hair and smiling handsomely. "Now, I'm gonna put on the charm."

"Knock her dead, Sting!" Lector cheers his Slayer on as he walks out to distract the woman.

"Excuse me, sir, the clinic's not open until--" The woman immediately notices Sting approaching the counter.

"I'm not here for the clinic," Sting waggles his eyebrows up and down and leans against the counter sexily. "I'm here for you."

"What---You---what?" The woman blinks, baffled as an immediate blush rises up her neck.

"The name's Sting, beautiful. Do I get the pleasure of knowing your name?"

"You want my name?" The woman giggles, suddenly putty in the man's hands. "I...I'm Mel!"

"That's beautiful name--"

"He's got her in the works! C'mon Happy!" Lector rushes for the door behind the counter, Happy looks worried as he follows behind his follow exceed.

Sting caught and kept the woman's attention long enough for her to not notice the door behind her opening.

The back office is dark when the two cats enter, it's only lit by a lacrima lamp, but it's just enough for the exceeds to gather their surroundings. Behind the large desk where someone would usually sit and take appointments, there were three file cabinets.

"Crud! We don't know which one has Lucy's stuff!" Lector jumps onto the desk, planting his paws on his cat waist.

"Maybe we shouldn't be in here! I don't want Lucy to hate me!" Happy worried aloud.

"Don't be a baby!" Lector scoffs, eyeing the filing cabinets one by one. "Oh, I know! It's gotta be the one of the middle ones! Alphabetical order!"

"Alpha--what?" Happy's cat brows knit together.

"Are you stupid?" Lector deadpanned. "Never mind! The files should be the middle drawers! You should hurry up and get them?"

"EH?" Happy looks at the red-haired exceed, blanching. "Why me?!"

"Cuz you can fly! Chop chop! Time's a'wasting!" Lector claps, though with his paws, he wasn't actually clapping.

"I don't want to do this!" Happy's wings spring from his back and he floats in front of the middle cabinet. "I don't know why I'm listening, but..."

"You're just as curious as the rest of us," Lector says and crosses his arms over his chest. "Just hurry and get those files!"

"I'm trying!" Happy opens the first cabinet, reading as fast he could. Only problem, he didn't know to spell Lucy's last name, but knew it began with an H. Lucy H. Lucy H. Lucy H.

A laugh erupts outside of the office, startling the exceeds.

"Hurry!" Lector urges Happy impatiently.

Happy's eyes widen, seeing the name Lucy H on two files. He tiny heart pounds within his chest. It's official! He's committing theft, and it was terrifying! But which one was his Lucy's?

"I got it!" Happy says.

"Then take it!"

"But, there's two Lucy H's here!" Happy panics, sweating bullets. "Which one is Lucy's?"

"Who cares? Just grab one!" Lector chastises.

"Uh..." Happy debates on which one would be the correct file to take only for the woman Sting was flirting with to suddenly ask why the office door is open.

Desperately, Happy takes the first file, closes the cabinet, flies to Lector and grabs him, flying through the top part of the doorway just as the woman practically goes inside to check it out. And Sting is already backing away from the counter, ready to dash.

"We got it, Sting! Let's go!" Lector gets dropped onto his person's shoulders.

With that, the trio disappears from the clinic, leaving the receptionist confused and alone.

Happy flies over head as Sting slows his pace, clutching Lucy's file to his body, the guilt already rising.

"Good work, Happy!" Sting whoops and takes the file from the cat before he could react.

"I don't have a good feeling about this..." Happy groans miserably.

"Well, don't, " Lector puffs his chest. "We don't tell Lucy. That's that."

Sting giggles like a child who was given candy as he opens the file. What he sees in the file wipes the giggles and smile off his face, his eyes as big as saucers.

"What is it Sting?" Lector asks, confused by the black and white pictures, finding it hard to see them. "What's A and B mean?"

"Uh..." Sting gulps, sweating pin-balls now.

.

.

now

"Enough, Dragon! Lunar Make: Chains!"

Natsu's body freezes midair, his body suddenly wrapped with unbreakable chain-shaped shadows. Grimm stands on the building Natsu leapt from, outstretching an arm his direction. His flames disperse and he's pulled back to the rooftop, struggling and yelling curses; unable to fight while he was suspended in the air

"Extraordinary, isn't it?" Grimm peers at Natsu intensely, clenching his fist to tighten the chains around the dragon slayer's body. "Your beast within has taken over you. You've been almost impossible to track."

"Let me out so I can beat your ass!" Natsu struggles against the pitch black chains.

"Are you stupid, or are you insane? You'll get your woman," Grimm raises his arm, manipulating the shadows as he does so, and then thrusts his limb down, the shadow chains slam the dragon slayer onto the cement roof, knocking him out cold. "On our terms."

"Ouch! That was easy," Taft appears behind Grimm, impressed by his quick action. "Where were you hiding that fancy trick?"

"My Lunar Make Magic can forge anything I want. It's nothing special, " Grimm looks at Natsu's unconscious body and then to the now darkened window. "Milady was brilliant for putting that spell on him. He led us right to her."

"What now? Bust in there and grab her?" Taft glances at Grimm.

"No. There's another Dragon inside. Not to mention someone who can render us to our darkest nightmares." The dual-eyed man rubs his chin. "But perhaps..."

"Want me to bust in anyway? Distract 'em?" Taft looks at the window, though he was looking at the wrong one because he didn't know which one to look at, his eyes scanned all the windows.

"I can neutralize them from here, " The older man decides and then peers at Natsu's body. "We can't waste anymore time. Are you ready, Taft?"

The green-haired man grins, his shark-like teeth poking out from under his lips.

"I was born ready!"

"Do not screw this up, boy," Grimm glares at the younger man. "We won't get another chance at this."

"Yada yada! I said I'm ready, didn't I?" He said, near irately.

"Very well. Stand back."

Grimm gets into a focused stance, clapping his hands together, the floor below his feet ignites with a dark magic circle. The rush of magic creates a rush of wind that trails up his body, his hair flowing like greying tendrils around his head. Transparent, grey snake-like shadows creep out of the circle. Taft has to take a step back, a numbing pin-pricking his skin.

"Lunar Make: paralyzation!"