Chapter 2: Some People Have Ghosts (Gajeel has more than others)


Gajeel did not like to think about his gang days. His time in Phantom Lord was a haze of pain and destruction that he had always wanted to leave behind him. Sure he was still close with Juvia, the two had been roommates since they agreed to leave the group together, and hung out with Natsu and the rest who had met him before he defected. However, there was one thing that he could never put behind him, no matter how hard he tried.

It was Levy McGarden.

-:-

Gajeel had been ecstatic when he received the order to attack the most well-known high school in the area. The residents were known by everyone in the community for the chaos they caused and high morals they had. They stuck their noses into anything and everything, especially if they thought something unjust was happening. It was especially annoying for members of gangs like himself.

But that wasn't why he had wanted to crush them under his foot. It never was.

-:-

The English department in Fairy Academy was famous for getting stuck with the worst classrooms in the school. No matter if it was the projector or the chairs, almost ritualistically something would break each week. And the students would have to put up with it, at least until Levy McGarden joined their program.

Which was something that had honestly confused said girl to no end.

Something that was pretty obvious when Levy walked into her class on monday to see everyone huddling around their formerly broken AC unit with smiles on their faces, enjoying the cool air that was now blasting out of it.

"Hey Levy, your boyfriend came by again!" Laki called out when she noticed her friend. "He fixed the AC just in time for the heatwave."

Several variations of thanks were muttered after that statement, praising the mysterious man who had been solving all their problems.

"Well, that's great." Levy said slowly, "But I really don't have a boyfriend! How do you know I'm the reason this guy keeps coming in? He's never here when I am."

Another girl shot her a knowing look as she responded, "We asked him. He said he only comes because it's the 'shrimp's class', and you're the only one short enough to be called shrimp here."

A flush covered Levy's cheeks as she pouted, annoyed at being referred to as a shrimp.

"Then why doesn't he just show himself to me?"

-:-

Gajeel was fed up with Natsu's smirk as he sat at a barstool in The Salamander. That smug expression had stayed on his face ever since Gajeel called the pink haired man to the college to scope out the area and make sure Levy was not approaching as he fixed the air conditioning in her classroom.

It was driving him crazy. Especially since it was his fault that the engineering student had started sneaking in and fixing everything in the classroom. Ever since he had decided to join in on that joke picture so that Natsu could send it to that girl who accidently texted him, Levy had been running through his mind.

He had tried completely avoiding her for a while, but when he saw the bluenette in that picture all his feelings of guilt rushed back.

And Natsu was still making that stupid face.

Gajeel glared the young chef and growled, "Don't say a word about it."

"About what? You clearly having the hots for Levy?" Natsu asked. "My lips are sealed."

The "for about five minutes" was heavily implied at the end of that sentence.

"YOU'RE GODDAMN DEAD SALAMANDER!" Was yelled right before Gajeel jumped over the counter and ran after the laughing man. Crashes were heard after their retreat into the kitchen and oddly enough, none of the patrons were disturbed by this.

The chaos was part of the restaurant's charm after all.

-:-

Gajeel and Juvia had searched for Metalicanna all over Magnolia, and even used Phantom Lord's connections to look through Fiore for him. They never received any results. Gajeel's father was simply nowhere to be found.

And that had eaten at him for years. Attacking the school was his outlet. So when he saw the first three people leave the school, two boys and a small girl, he knew there would be no stopping him. He would show them how terrible the "Iron Dragon" could be. He would showcase the monster his father had turned him into.

He had started with the two boys. Beating them with an iron pipe, marking them with metal similar to the piercings he sported. Essentially crucifying them once he was done. The girl was in a similar state when he had turned to her afterwards. She had tried to interfere, to stop him, and he had attacked.

She laid on the ground, bloody and bruised, crying at the sight of her friends.

"Please…please don't do anything else to them…"

He had laughed.

-:-

Since then Gajeel had changed. His hair had grown long. He had gotten more piercings. His style had changed. He had even grown taller. He hoped that he was unrecognizable. He hoped Levy McGarden would never remember him.

Because he could never forget her.


New update! Yay!

...

So, this was a hard chapter to write because I didn't really know how to explain Gajeel's past. When I was writing the end part where he attacks the Shadow Gear team I wanted to talk about what he was doing to them, but I tried not to go into a lot of detail. He does crucify them and brand Levy in the series and that can be pretty hardcore when described.

I hope you liked how it turned out though.

The next chapter though, will have a much lighter tone to it. It will focus on Juvia and Gray, and that's all I'll say for now.

Reviews are love

Miss Arcobaleno