A Mission for Mira

Chapter 1

The guild hall was strangely quiet that morning. Levi sat at the bar, her notes strewn about as she worked to decipher her newest book. Without Natsu and his team around to make a fuss, the work went remarkably quick. In the far corner, the Thunder Legion relaxed, looking over a stack of request pamphlets that had yet to be posted. Nothing seemed to catch their eyes.

"Remember to put those back in a pile so I can hang them up!" Mira called from across the room.

"Of course," Freed replied for the group. Mira forced a smile as a page fluttered to the floor when Bickslow nudged it with his elbow too far. Closing her eyes and sighing, she put the freshly cleaned glass back in the cabinet.

The door flung open with a crash. Every eye turned to look at the out-of-breath messenger boy. He looked around at them.

"I have an urgent request for the guild master!" he called.

"I can take it," Mira smiled. She stepped out from behind the bar and smiled at the young man. He looked up at her in amazement. "You're Mirajane," he breathed. "You- you're just as beautiful as in the magazines!" Mira blushed.

"Thank you," she said. "I can take that for the master, he's up in-"

"I'm here," Makarov called from the second floor. He made his way down the stairway with more grace then the messenger thought was possible for a man his age.

"What's this now?" he asked, taking the page from the boy. The teen straightened up.

"My supervisor would like an immediate response actually. We are-"

"Let me read the request boy!-" After a moment, the old man snorted to himself and handed it to Mirajane. "It appears the request is for you."

"Me?"

The conversation had attracted the rest of the room's attention by now, so the collective surprise was expected.

"What type of mission is it?" Levi asked from her seat. She pulled her glasses off and set them beside her book.

"It's from a Modeling Agency, for the magazine 'Seasons'," Mirajane recited. She scanned the rest of the request.

"I've never heard of that one," Levi stated.

"We're only a few years old," mumbled the messenger, "but-"

"So why send a guild request if all you need is a model?" Freed pondered.

"There's more," Mira explained. "The note says that over the last few months the magazine has had several of their wizard models fall ill with mild cases of magic deficiency disease."

"Seriously?!" Levi asked.

"Sounds serious," Bickslow frowned.

"We've hired other wizards, but none of them were able to pinpoint the issue. And none of them were affected to even get any clues," the messenger explained. "My supervisor figured that if we could get a model to come in, the culprit might let their guard down and-"

"So, you wanted bait?" Laxus asked. The teen's ears flushed red.

"Not- not entirely!" he stuttered. "We'd be happy to accept any other female mages onto the set to work with Ms Strauss! It doesn't need to be just her alone!"

"Hmm," Makarov sighed. "Magic deficiency disease isn't something to take lightly. Are you sure Mira?"

"The request does ask for me," the girl stated. "I can handle it Master."

"Oh, thank you!" The messenger shouted. "The director would like to speak with you at once! The new issue starts shooting tomorrow so he's-"

"Hold on!" Makarov interrupted. "I refuse to let you go alone. I know this isn't an S-class mission, but it sounds like other guilds have already failed, and I don't need you getting hurt."

"Alright," Mira nodded. She looked around the room. "Levi?"

"Oh no!" The girl said, throwing her hands up. "I'm not a model. That's not my thing at all. Sorry Mira." Mira almost laughed at how red the girl blushed. Luckily, she didn't need to beg.

"I'll go with you," Evergreen called. She stood up. "In fact, the whole Thunder Legion would be happy to assist!"

"Now wait!" The messenger panicked. "The director said nothing about allowing more male models, I can't-"

"No, I think this is a great idea," Makorav nodded. "Laxus, Bickslow, and Freed, you three will accompany the girls as their bodyguards and manager." He gave a look to the young man who towered over him.

"I know very well that proper models have personal bodyguards on set with them. So, this shouldn't be an issue to accommodate." The boy sighed and nodded.

"If you five would meet me at the train station on an hour, we can head out," he sounded panicked and Mirajane did not blame him.

"Good Luck!" Levi called as they vanished out the door to grab their things.

-.0o0o0.-

The station was quiet when they arrived. Only a few other travelers waited on the platform as the teen handed out their train tickets. They boarded the train and the Thunder Legion and Mira were promptly left alone in their own car.

"This is the way to travel!" Bickslow laughed as he took up a whole seat. Laxus was silent, but he too nodded once the train began to move.

"Obviously this company knows how to treat its VIPs," Evergreen smiled.

"Mirajane is still a very popular model, I'm sure they'd be happy to spare no expense to getting her to accept this mission," Freed stated.

"Oh, I'm not-" Mira tried to say.

"Don't be modest," Evergreen interrupted. "Your last photoshoot was lovely."

"Yeah, just focus on distracting everyone with Ever. It should be easy!" Bickslow added.

"And with our cover, we should be able to watch from the sides to see if anything is suspicious. If I'm correct, Bickslow and Laxas won't be the only security there. This magazine has two other high-profile models that frequent their pages. You two should see about what their security knows. I have a list of all the models-"

"We were only given the mission an hour ago, Freed," Evergreen pouted. "How did you find out so much so fast?"

"It's probably from the stack of magazines he keeps under his bed," Bickslow teased. "I didn't think you'd be interested in the ones with-"

"I'm not a child, Bickslow!" Freed blushed. "I keep them on my book shelf, not under my bed… How shameful." Mira covered her smile when she noticed Freed's worried glance at Laxus. The blond man did not seem interested in the intended undertones of the conversation. He simply stared out the train's window in silence. For all the space they had in the train car, Freed and Laxas sat in the same seat pair, facing each other. Mira and Evergreen sat across the aisle from them while Bickslow sprawled out in his own seat facing Freed over Laxas's shoulder.

"I'm not saying it's a bad thing to have them, just that I figured you'd only keep certain issues on hand," Bickslow added.

"Well," Freed huffed. "Having them all worked out in my favor. The most recent issue of Sorcerer Weekly had the top unsigned models of the five major agencies, and one from just before the Grand Magic Games had a behind-the-scenes article about the work of the 'crew' in a magazine shoot. I skipped that article when the issue came out, but it was enlightening under our current circumstances. I think I can properly fulfil my role as your manager now. I even picked up the most recent Seasons issue from the newsstand for you both."

"That's wonderful!" Mira smiled, "but really, it isn't that much to be worried about. You all will be fine. Let's just focus on figuring out why the girls are falling ill before someone else gets hurt. The modeling is just a cover."

"Says the experienced centerfold," Evergreen teased. "You're taking all the fun out of the mission Mira! Do you think they'll give us copies of our issue?" She flipped through the magazine Freed handed her, her eyes wide as she imagined herself on these same pages.

"I've gotten copies when I've done other shoots at least," Mira nodded.

"If not, I wouldn't be surprised if everyone in the guild buys a copy," Freed stated. "Everyone has your previous ones." Even Laxus nodded in response. Mira folded her hands in her lap and smiled to herself. Everyone in the guild was so supportive, but it made her heart beat faster at the thought that Laxus had a copy of her issue somewhere at home. Before she found herself blushing brighter than Levi when she was around a certain dragon slayer, she changed the subject.

"Are you feeling ok, Laxus?" Mira asked. "You've been quieter than usual." The man wrinkled his nose, most likely unhappy that someone noticed.

"Hmm, you mentioned at the games that like Natsu you get motion sickness," Freed suggested.

"It's not that bad," Laxus growled. "I'll be fine when we stop."

"That's right! If Natsu was here, he'd be passed out on the ground!" Bickslow stated. The group laughed, the sound filling the empty train car.

"So Mira, let's talk about these shoots-"

Mira happily explained the process behind the photoshoots she had been a part of for Sorcerer Weekly and a handful of other magazines over the years. Both Evergreen and Freed nodded along with her explanation. Laxus paid minimal attention but every now and again Mira noticed him watching her as she happily recounted some of her more fun experiences. She had never been on a small mission with the other s-class wizard. She only saw how he acted while relaxing at the guild hall or during their large guild wide emergencies. Truthfully, she was happy to be given a simple mission. She highly doubted that she would need to transform and fight on a modeling job. Most magazine publications just wanted a pretty face and great body in front of the camera. It made the work easy enough for her. Mirajane was certain Evergreen would be fine as well.

-.0o0o0.-

They arrived at the town several hours later and followed the messenger to a tall building by the port. The receptionist, initially surprised at the groups' entrance, quickly gathered herself and smiled brightly.

"Is the director still in, Ash?" asked the teen as he marched towards the stairway in the back.

"Yes, he should be in his office," the woman nodded. "I can-"

"No need, he's expecting me!" The Fairy Tail group followed the young man past the receptionist and to a door. One knock and the invitation of entry was all the warning the group got before the boy hurried in and nearly closed the door on them. Laxus caught it before it hit Evergreen in the nose.

"Excellent, you're back," stated who the group could only assume was the director. "Did you get Mirajane to agree?"

"About that, there's-"

Laxus pushed the door open and the group filed in. The director recognized Mira and gave Evergreen an approving look. He narrowed his eyes at the three boys.

"Lee, what is this?" he questioned. Before he could open his mouth to speak or Laxus could grumble a hasty reply, Freed squared his shoulders and walked to the director's desk. He extended his hand for a firm handshake.

"You must be Mr. Matoushi," he began. "I'm Mirajane and Evergreen's manager. We're delighted that you contacted us. I hope you don't mind the extra muscle-" Freed glanced back at Laxus in particular but held back his usual looks of admiration.

"I'd prefer the girls felt safe while working this request. Magic Deficiency Disease is a serious issue for any wizard, and we'd like to do everything within our power to put a stop to it for you."

The director visibly relaxed after Freed's explanation. Even Lee, the messenger, seemed relieved. The Fairy Tail team remained guarded, but so far, Freed's surprise explanation appeared to be working in their favor. They hoped the director did not question why a wizard would choose to also be a model's manager instead of Mirajane choosing an actual modeling agency to work through.

"It's no problem," the director nodded. "Please sit- all of you. I'm sure you'll like to know what's expected." Lee procured them all chairs. Laxus declined, preferring to lean against the wall near the doorframe. Normally his distant behavior made their clients wary, but it fit the bodyguard persona he was meant to play. No one encouraged him to sit.

"Your request stated you were looking for Mirajane to not only find and stop this strange case occurring after your shoots, but also that you wanted her to model for the issue, correct?" Freed asked. He had woven himself a hasty spell of quick thinking and confidence, almost like a glamour, so while his smile cracked and heart skipped beats, he looked and sounded like he was in total control. It was a useful trick, but it wouldn't last long. This needed to be a short meeting. He gave Mirajane a quick glance, hoping she would stop him if she needed to add anything.

"Yes," the director stated. "I'm willing to pay the reward as well as Mirajane's modeling fee. This is our most important issue of the year, and I fear if another model comes down ill we'll go under. We're in heavy competition with Sorcerer's Weekly as I'm sure you know, so being able to put out a successful summer issue after the games is paramount. That's why I've convinced my talent directors to let me hire you, Mirajane."

"So, what is it you need us to do exactly?" asked Evergreen.

"The shoots are mostly done in-house. The building has several stages and photo setups, so the cause of this is someone on the inside. I need you to find the culprit and handle it to keep the models safe. It's not cost effective to keep finding new wizard models to replace the ones who get sick. Not to mention paying them since the job is what made them sick. To be honest, if you stop the person who's doing this, the money I'll save is greater than any fee you'd name in the long run." Mira nodded. The director was being almost too honest with them, but there was nothing to say about that now.

"Before I agree, I'd like to know what this summer issue is about," she said. "As you know, I've been gone for seven years, and I don't know much about what your magazine stands for. My manager did not have time to fill in the blanks on the way over."

"Of course!" The director smiled. "Here's last year's summer issue. We did a beach resort theme for the main spread. It went over remarkably well, but this year we wanted our major brands to go more classic elegance. It's different than anything we or any other magazine has done recently, and our studies show it's a good hook. Here are some of our ideas. Mira touched the artist renderings of fancy dresses and sleek suits along with outdoor lounge and patio cocktail dresses. They encompassed several time periods, most of them were from a specific designer.

"We're working with Bla-Ke closely. They're debuting their line for the new season and we're doing an article for them about it. Their rep is going to pick models specifically for it, but I'm sure they'll want you involved," the director explained. Mira nodded without showing too much excitement over the prospect. She knew the director was just talking through his teeth at this point if the Bla-Ke rep was really in charge. It would be amazing to be honest, since Magnolia had a small storefront where Elfman liked to shop. She wondered if she could convince the rep to send her a formal suit in his size. her brother no longer fit into his old one.

"Now do you find this all to your standards so you can sign the contracts?" The director interrupted her thoughts. Freed jumped back in.

"Everything looks in order yes," he nodded. He took the papers and read through them as quick as humanly possible. They seemed to be typical nondisclosures and liability contracts. Nothing overly hazardous or binding in the future. Freed handed a set to Mira and Evergreen.

"And you have no issues with the girls' security and I overseeing the shoots?" Freed said it in a tone that bordered on threatening. The director nodded.

"Not at all. There are a few other models that have their teams in tow. Normally, I'd be hesitant since we're completely in-house, but I know this is a special case. I'll get extra badges for you all by tomorrow morning."

"Excellent," Freed nodded. Mira and Evergreen signed the paperwork and handed it back.

"Also, we're housing our models upstairs if they wish," the director explained. "It's recommended so we can assist if anything goes wrong. Otherwise there's an inn down the road. Lee, do we have any double rooms upstairs?"

"A few," came the messenger's response.

"Great. Lee will take you all upstairs and get you settled in. I'll have your badges delivered as soon as possible. Your call time is 7am tomorrow morning in the lobby. come ready to take basic shots and work with our designers and artists. we're doing measurements and color tests to set up for the shoots over the week," the director explained. The group nodded, Evergreen looking slightly more nervous than excited, and they followed Lee out of the room and up the steps. He presented them with what looked like it once was a luxury two-bedroom condo.

"Woah! this place is fancy!" Bickslow exclaimed. The Fairy Tail group stepped inside, noting the cream carpets and fully furnished interior. The windows looked out over the mountains in the distance.

"The magazine board bought the building for a steal. it was full of apartments for the wealthy, but the demand just wasn't there," explained Lee absentmindedly. "Here's my card if you need anything. You have a communication Lacrama on the table over there. If I don't answer, it can also reach the reception desk. The instructions are on the card. Have a good evening." Lee shut the door behind him and left the group alone. Evergreen started to speak.

"Well that was-"

"Crazy?" Bickslow finished for her. "Great job with the director, Freed."

"Yeah," Laxus nodded. Freed beamed with the praise, but he let his exhaustion show now that he dropped the enchantment.

"It was nothing," he lied.

"Even so," Mira smiled. "They have no reason not to let you three accompany us and poke around the photoshoots. Hopefully we can finish the mission before anyone gets hurt." They all nodded.

"Are all gigs so early in the morning?" Evergreen asked. "This model needs her sleep!"

"7am is late for most shoots," Mira explained. "Staying on site helps. I'm sure times will be earlier for the actual shoot days." Evergreen groaned.

"We might as well turn in early then," Free suggested. The group agreed.

Mira and Evergreen retired to the privacy of the back bedroom, leaving the boys to decide on their own sleeping arrangements. The apartment had two king-sized bedrooms. Compared to the oversized twin beds or mat rooms with bedrolls in most inns that they were used to, it was an unbelievable luxury. Even so, Evergreen doubted all three boys would share the single bed. It came as no surprise the next morning when her and Mira found Laxus snoring away on one of the couches in the main room.

Thanks for reading! Hopefully the premise is interesting enough for you all. Eventually, there will be some Mira x Laxus thrown in, but until then, enjoy the story!

I'm going to attempt to update on Sundays/Monday every week.