The trio entered the ruins, ready and willing to face the person inside. The person responsible for hurting Gray. The person who brought Juvia sorrow and lonliness. The person who made Fairy Tail grieve for a fallen nakama. The person who was about to get what was coming to them. With extreme prejudice. It didn't take long for them to find who they were looking for. An old aquantance of Juvia's, though not one that she cared to talk about any more. A person who had started a war with Fairy Tail by attacking it's members. It's family. The person who lost that war and was forced to disband their guild after it's destruction. Master Jose Porla. Though now he wasn't a master of anything and the small team of mages refused to acknowledge him as such. He was just a master of himself.
"Jose", each of the three mages addressed the person before them simultaneously with anger clearly present in their voices. He only offered a cocky smile in response, clearly he was self-obsessed and wasn't surprised that they had found him. He hadn't really covered up his tracks as well as he could have, hiring low-lives to do the dirty work and putting his name on letters that he sent to them rather than a false alias. Each of the three people before the ex-guild master had a different reason for wanting to teach him a lesson that he wouldn't soon forget. Natsu felt that only he had the right to fight Gray and come out on top (unless it was Erza, she was just too scary for him to do anything about her). Juvia had thought that she had lost the only person she had ever loved, and now that she knew who was behind it, there was no way she was going to let it go. She almost killed Meredy just because she said that she wanted to do the same to Gray. And Gray, well Gray was the main victim in all of this. Why wouldn't he want revenge for what happened.
"Hello, brats". They were used to being called this, but they had only ever heard Makarov address them like this. For Jose to do it was just... wrong. It didn't feel right. It felt like a really deep and hurtful insult. Natsu narrowed his eyes even further as he started at the man before them.
"Only Gramps calls us that!", he exclaimed in anger of being talked like he was below this man. Jose was clearly above him and Natsu didn't have a chance of beating him one on one, but he'd never admit that to any one. He did have his pride to consider after all. If he admitted he was incapable, he'd never hear the end of it. The entire guild would torture him for days on end and he'd become a laughing stock. Jose only sneered in response, not bothering to respond to Natsu's sudden outburst. Gray spoke with more composure.
"Why?"
Jose looked at him for a minute, as if thinking of what he was going to tell him, organising his words into fluent sentences.
"You destroyed my guild", he started calmly, keeping the smirk on his face as he talked. "Phantom Lord was once the greatest guild in all of Fiore, but then you got involved didn't you, you little fairies. You acted tough, you needed to be taught a lesson".
"So you attacked three of our closest friends?" Natsu interupted.
"Precisely". He sounded so smug, like he was some kind of master tactician that had done nothing wrong, like he was the victim, not them. "Nothing puts some one in their place better than striking out at their heart". The three mages listened in silence, rage building up inside of them as he talked about brutally assaulting their closest friends with such tranquility and arrogance. "Just because my guild ain't around no more, doesn't mean that I've forgotten about it all. You destroyed my guild, and then, like pouring salt into the open wound, you syphoned MY guild members!" the old man seemed to be losing his cool as he rambled on about how he was the victim to Fairy Tail, not the other way around.
"They came to us. We just gave them an opportunity, an option", Gray still kept his cool despite the rage that was bubbling over inside of him. Juvia nodded in agreement, having experienced the kindness that he was talking about first hand. Jose looked at her, noticing her for the first time since they had came into the ruins.
"Ah, the rain woman. One of the strongest mages in my late guild".
"Juvia isn't the rain woman any more. Gray-sama took away Juvia's rain, her sadness".
"Gray-sama?" Jose rrepeated in a tone that made him sound like he was mocking her. "When did you get so friendly with him? You know how love treats you, you think this time will be any different?"
"Hey!" Gray let out some of the anger that had been building up inside him. "I'd never even think of treating Juvia like those douchebags did. She deserves better". Juvia smiled and her cheeks gained a bit of colour as she admired what Gray was doing. He was sticking up for her. Something that hardly any one ever did for her. Especially the people she thought she loved in the past. Not even her parents would stick up for her, and now here he was, her love interest and the person she admired the most in this world, defending her. Jose scoffed in response.
"You're here to get revenge right? To enforce your idea of justice? Well let's get it over with quick then shall we?". He seemed bored with how the conversation was progressing.
"Fine by me", Natsu answered, clearly wanting to get straight to the action. He wasn't one who liked to settle problems with words. That's what his fists were for. Gray and Juvia seemed more hesitant. They were a lot more knowledgable when it came to how dangerous he really was and didn't want to get too beat up in the battle that was sure to ensue. Jose raised a hand, making Juvia flinch. He had used his magic to punish her for failing jobs in the past and she knew how much it could hurt. Natsu cut him off before he could use any of his magic sending a ball of fire hurtling through the air towards Jose. He dodged it with ease, but it stopped him from using his magic and gave the other two some time to get fully prepared for the fight. Fireball after fireball flew from Natsu's hands towards Jose, each one having less success than the last at hitting their mark. Gray suddenly joined the frey.
"Ice Make: Floor". The entire floor turned to white as a sheet of ice covered it, making his oppenent slide and almost trip as she landed after dodging yet another of the dragon slayer's attacks with ease.
"Water Slicer!" Juvia fired a few thin jets of water towards Jose with extreme speed and precision. He only just had time to move out the way when he saw it coming.
"Wing Slash Of The Fire Dragon!" Natsu made two whips of fire and went after Jose with them, swinging them downwards. He jumped backwards, narrowly avoiding them as he felt the heat near his face.
"Ice Make: Battleaxe!" A huge axe of ice appeared in Gray's hands and slashed at Jose, catching his side and drawing a little bit of blood. He looked down in disbelief. One of those kids had just made him bleed. Nothing like this had ever happened before. He was always used to being on top, being the best.
"Water Nebula!" A swirl of water appeared underneath Jose's feet before shooting upwards, sending him flying as it did so.
"Roar Of The Fire Dragon!" Natsu's mouth became a flamethrower, sending the flame racing towards the old man, knocking him backwards as it hit him.
"Ice Bringer!" Gray dashed through Jose with two swords made of ice, leaving a large ice crystal on his body where they hit. The crystal shattered showing a cut that let crimson seep out and run down his body.
"Water Cane!" Juvia's arm became a whip of water that she used to swipe at the opponent before her. Again and again, Juvia's water arm slammed against Jose's body, making him stumble each time it did so. He fell to the floor and landed with a thud. Her arm became flesh and bone again as she reverted back to her usual calm demeanour. For the first time ever, Jose had been beaten, rendered unable to fight, by a trio of kids that he considered to be far inferior to him.
"Let's go". Gray spoke calmly again, having vented his rage upon the ex-guild master. "He's beat".
Natsu pointed a threatening finger at Jose, "You're getting off light".
"Natsu!" Gray's voice called for him, telling him to follow.
Gray reached out for Juvia's hand, intertwining his fingers with hers as they started heading back to Magnolia.
"Yeah, yeah! Keep your pants on Ice Princess!" Gray looked down. Where were his trousers anyway? Juvia's cheeks flushed pink as she noticed that fact too. But she still didn't let go of his hand. She tightened her grip slightly instead, never wanting to let go of him.
