User blog comment:IamJakuhoRaikoben/Chapter 457: Naked Battle, Review./@comment-4999650-20151019120400/@comment-25111584-20151019170403

Nick, Lucy had a zero percent chance of actually even harming Brandish, and she would either be stupid or arrogant to not realize that. She is neither.

To take the action or to not take the action:
 * If she does, she just ends up antagonizing Brandish, which increases the chances of Lucy just being offed and Brandish turning her gaze on Magnolia.
 * Result: Lucy's actions had no impact whatsoever and just ended in her death.
 * If she does not and plays along, she extends the time Brandish spends in frivolous activities. Maybe buy enough time for reinforcements to arrive.
 * Result 1: Reinforcements arrive and the situation becomes marginally better.
 * Result 2: Lucy runs out of time and Brandish recognizes her, after which Lucy has no idea what will happen. But at least she will have wasted some time, which means reinforcements are at least a bit closer and she has to waste less time in the confrontation till help arrives.

Imo, kinda clear which is the better choice.

Without Laxus, Gajeel would be dead. Laxus does not have any time to waste in getting to the scene, though now that he is there, wasting time would be beneficial as well as harmful. Lucy actually gains an advantage if she wastes time. Huge difference. ._.

Ummm, communication with Warren means communication with Mavis. The brilliant strategist. That's kinda useful, wouldn't you say?

Wasting time would have been of benefit, Lucy chose not to. And that would have been fine if her attempt on Brandish's life hadn't been so poor that it had no chance of succeeding.