Prologue
"Where the hell is Lily?"
Gajeel growled to himself looking for his exceed, Pantherlily. He took off on a private mission and said he'd be back yesterday. He searched all through Magnolia and at the guild, but found no sign of Lily. This was all he did that day. He only had one meal and he was starving. "I'm going to kill you," he murmured, "…when you get back home you asshole…"
Gajeel leaned against the wall of an abandoned factory he'd looked in five times that day, and almost fell asleep. His house was two hours away (by walking) and he was too tired to get there on his own. He didn't even make it halfway, so Gajeel was forced to take the trolley home.
He stretched his legs out, and they made a loud cracking sound. He sighed in relief; he was the only one there. Gajeel checked his watch; 11:30PM. Crazy late. Since Fairy Tail, he's never been out this late unless it was a mission. He remembered back at Phantom, when he stayed out really late, alone at a bar drinking his heart out. He was depressed for some reason. Gajeel stared out the window, trying to figure out why the hell he was so depressed. He did this every night for three years, until the war, so why is it such a blur all of a sudden? That's right...he tried to forget. But why? That's something he didn't want to ask himself, but the question wouldn't leave his head. That's when he remembered…
"Gajeel…" The Phantom master growled, "You idiot!"
Gajeel looked at his master, José, as he slammed his fist on the wall. There was a huge crack there. José could've chosen between that wall, and his face. He got lucky. "You FAILED your mission!?"
He couldn't breathe.
"Answer me!"
"Yes."
"Yes WHAT?"
"Yes Master José."
His master walked around him, examining him. After a long look Gajeel was grabbed by the hair and pushed to the floor. José stood over him, and then crouched down so that his crotch rubbed against Gajeel. He almost screamed. José laughed, and whispered in his ear, "You vulnerable little bitch…" Gajeel began to pant. "Do you see what I'm doing?"
"Y-yes…"
"Gajeel…"
"Y-yes Master J-José."
"This is what will happen…if you fail a mission again. Do you understand?"
"Yes M-Master José."
"I want YOU, Gajeel, to become the strongest mage in Phantom Lord. And the next time you fail so miserably, you—and when you least expect it—will have to PAY for it. Are we clear?"
"Yes Master José."
"Good." He let Gajeel up. "Get your ass out of my sight."
He gasped. Oh god damn, when I least expect it? When the hell is that going to happen…?
Gajeel walked the rest of the way home, wide awake. He can't be there; he hasn't shown up since I joined Fairy Tail! He's in prison! That's right… prison…he couldn't show up if he wanted to…He sighed again, and sat on the steps of his home. He's never going to show up…especially not now, when I can see that bastard coming…He smiled and went inside.
He was far too tired to go upstairs, so he rested on the couch. It was a quiet midnight. Though he was startled awake at midnight when the bells rang from outside in the center of magnolia (just a few miles from where he lived), but he quickly went back to sleep. In the middle of that silence the feeling of tugging from his shirt woke him up, and before he could open his eyes…
…he was pinned against the couch.
Above him is what he hadn't been waiting for.
