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It's 1943 and War rages upon everyone. Gray has an important mission to complete, but a certain blue haired woman was not part of his plans. She could easily bring the whole operation down and bring Gray to his death. (WWII AU)
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Chapter 1
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Gray could hear the cacophony of blasts that rechochated against the mud somewhere to his right. He didn't have enough time to wish it weren't any of his fellow soldiers before Lieutenant Drayer cried out warning that they were about to be hit by another round of bombs from the Americans.
Gray had enough time to duck in the trench they had dug out before the wave ended and he was back with his rifle, shooting back at the enemy.
"Gray!" His friend and fellow soldier, Natsu, was waving at him and mouthing indecipherable words.
Gray motioned with his hands that he couldn't hear. His salmoned colored friend looked irritated. He didn't hesitate to pull Gray's black hair more forceful than normal as he reached for his ear;
"Lieutenant Drayer says we've been assigned to the new mission. We have to make our way out of the trenches and follow with the others!"
Gray's eyes probably reflected the displeasure he felt about leaving the group and how he didn't believe it would benefit them in any way to be away from the front lines.
"I know," Natsu said as if reading Gray's mind. Gray's same image reflected on his face. Natsu leaned in closer. "You know we can't disobey or do anything that could tip them off."
Gray felt his blood run cold every time he thought about fellow Japanese soldiers who had fallen as 'traitors' and the German soldiers had taken care of them in the most gruesome and cruel way.
Gray simply nodded and dropped from the boxes he had climbed to reach the edge of the trench. Natsu followed suit.
"When?" Gray said. Natsu arched his eyebrows. He couldn't hear him.
"When?" Gray repeated louder and closer to his friends ear.
"Tonight," Natsu yelled into his ear. "Lieutenant Lexus Dreyar has appointed us." In a harsh whisper, "I'm pretty sure he had no say. The Major, August, has been the one down his throat recently about us."
"We can't mess this up," Gray said back as he hoisted his gun and took a step back as a scrawny boy ran by. Gray couldn't help but notice he wasn't much older than sixteen.
"Let's go," Natsu said with a seriousness in his eyes.
Gray had learned from very early on that war wasn't a joke. The living conditions, clothes and food were terrible. The small sort of loft they had made to resemble a small room for the Lieutenant and Major looked like it was about to collapse any second. Gray was sure it wouldn't take more than a wave of bomb to have it crumbling down.
"At ease," Lieutenant Laxus said as Natsu and Gray saluted him.
He was seated on a small chair by an equal small table. Major August say by his side, seeming displeased by their simple presence. Small empty canteens sprawled out on the ground and cigar butts on the table. The place smelled rotten and like death. Small candles illuminated the space.
Gray knew they hadn't been able to receive any rations lately, but for the higher ups not to have any water or liquor made him realize how serious the situation really was. He didn't have much time.
"As far as we can see," Lieutenant Laxus started, "you both have been exceptionally obedient," the way he said it, was like the word physically hurt him to say. "and have surprisingly lived up to what we expect—"
"—let's cut to the point," Major August interrupted. "We are down many soldiers dying from dehydration and malnutrition. It doesn't take an idiot to realize that the Americans has shoved us into a corner where we can't reach our rations or connections with the other German army or Japanese."
August looked Gray up and down. "You both are the only ones that don't seem to be on the brink of death, so we have assigned you a mission."
"What kind of mission?" Gray asked.
August's eyes seemed to be burning holes into Gray. "A raid mission. We have three fellow soldiers that will join you. There is a French camp a few miles from here that we have discovered. They have medicine and food. Our job is to destroy it and take everything they have."
"At the same time," Lieutenant Laxus said, "the camp was set up to aid the Americans, it's a way to get back to them for cutting our supplies. We won't allow them to make a jokester of us."
"Sir," Gray and Natsu said in agreement at the same time. Even though they had both been trained to keep a poker face and hide their emotions, Gray knew better. The way Natsu's lips were slightly curled at the bottom and how his eyes had narrowed just slightly, he knew he was pissed.
Gray also knew they had a big problem on their hands.
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Gray grasper his gun tightly in his hands as he squatted behind a pile of bushes. His breath came out in puffs. Days were like a scorching oven, and nights were like icebergs. Which meant that autumn was coming to an end, and what the past two years in the war had taught him was that Germany was known for their frigid winters.
The thought of not having food or a warm place to sleep made Gray's stomach church. When had been the last time he had been home? That he had seen his father? His friends?
Shaking his head, he gritted his teeth. He couldn't get distracted. Thankfully, it was a clear night, so they had a clear view of their target.
He glanced to his left, Natsu's eyes were scrunched in worry. He caught Gray's eyes and Gray couldn't help but give him a defeated look. They had no other choice. They were on a mission, and for them to meet it through they had to do anything. If they didn't, they would die. Either from starvation or from their fellow soldiers and higher ups.
"Listen," Gray harshly whispered to the other three soldiers and Natsu. "We go in and out."
"Wait," Gray turned harshly towards a boy with blonde hair and skirmish brown eyes. "Maybe we should wait a little longer to make sure they're completely asleep."
"State your name," Gray said.
"Racer," the boy said.
"Racer?" Gray narrowed his eyes.
"Y-Yes." Racer stuttered. Gray could tell he hadn't willingly joined the army. He must've been forced. He imagined the boy wouldn't last long. Then, felt guilty for thinking such a way.
"Okay, Racer," Gray said in a deep whisper. "If we wait we risk being caught by the night guard shift. Right now they're probably changing shifts. We need to get this over with."
The boy didn't question him. Gray knew that even though Laxus was the Lieutenant, they also saw Gray as a sort of authority figure, especially after the year before when he had saved everyone from a close encounter with death. A field full of bombs.
Rounding the corner of one of the tents of the camps, Gray could hear the fast rate and pump of his heart. When he had first joined the army many years ago, he had been scared the enemy could hear his heartbeat and they would find them. Now, it was the only thing that kept him sane in missions like that.
As he glanced from a pocket mirror into the inside of the tent, he realized the coast was clear and signaled for Natsu to take their next place of action.
His friend fought his eyes and nodded. He went in and Gray followed suit, the other three soldiers had stayed farther behind. Gray knew he had to destroy the camp, but he wanted to find a way not to hurt innocent lives.
"Gray," Natsu's eyes were wide when he came out from one of the rooms.
Gray felt that cold shiver down his back that only meant something was wrong. He ran towards the rooms and he realized there weren't any guards and in a group all huddled together was a group of children.
"What the hell!" Gray screamed. Natsu was staring at him with wide eyes.
"What is this?"
Gray ran his hands through his hair in frustration. There was no food insight, no medicine other than a few bandages. The group of children looked no older than eight or nine and they looked like they hadn't had a proper meal in ages.
"I'll check on the others," Natsu's eyes had narrowed as he started to find a proper answer. His eyes widened as he realized something.
"What is it?" Gray asked.
"Grenades," Natsu said. "One of those kids that came with us hand grenades with him that the Major had given him just in case we needed them!"
"It's not a raid, it's a massacre! Go!" Gray yelled and Natsu ran out to find the other three soldiers.
"You need to get out, now! Run!" Gray waved his hands back and forth to the kids. "Run!"
The kids ran out of the tent like wild animals. Pushing one another, crying and yelling.
"Stop!"
Gray was about to turn and run himself when he heard a voice. A blue haired woman in a blue uniform that had been in the front of the kids stepped out. She had two small children in her arms and two toddlers clinging to her skirt.
"What is going on? Why are you doing this?" She had tears in her blue eyes and her haired had come out of her hat. A small Red Cross on her dress let Gray know she was part of the other team.
"You need to get out now!" Gray said. The girl had fear clear in her eyes, but there was also determination. She somehow managed to sling one of the kids over her shoulder and carried two of the babies.
"Let's go, Mel. Let's go." She ushered them, but not once did her blue eyes falters against Gray's dark ones.
"But Juvia," the girl complained. "My foot still hurts."
"Juvia knows my sweet, but we must go. Now."
It happened so fast, yet so slow. One second Gray had reached over to try and help the girl, but was flung backwards when he heard a hug explosion. He saw the look of horror in the girls face as she was also swung back by the force,
Gray hit the floor so hard he saw black spots as he tried to crawl himself to stand. He desperately looked for the girl with blue hair and the children, only to notice they had ended on the other side of him.
Her eyes were wide as she screamed a name after name, trying to look for the children. Was she silently screaming? No. Gray couldn't hear. His ears were ringing.
The blue haired French girl screamed something at him, but all her remembered was the ceiling collapsing on him before everything went black.
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I've been watching a lot of WWII British TV shows and this story has been in the back of my mind.
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