Emil C.: "Once again, I ask for your forgiveness my faithful readers for all of your amusing and interesting reviews!" –sheepishly scratches the back of his head- "College life and classes are still taking a toll in my body and to make things worse a friend of mine showed me this new game and haven't stop playing it…"

Luke: "Yup he has been playing it to such lengths as to go for 16 hours straight with no food or sleep whatsoever and with the stress of midterms he has been very spiteful lately…" –Emil C. smacks Luke's head in retaliation-

Emil C.: "Care to say that again, flower boy?" –Evilly growls at him as Luke backs away to his seat on the set-

Gray: "Anyways, back in track with Ms. Antiqua's issue with Mr. Shulk here…" –seemingly bored looks at the sweaty boy- "Why so afraid, Shulk? Anything you want to hide from our public…?"

Shulk: "Well, not really hide as much as to be explained the reason I'm here!" –Looks back at the girl seating beside him with begging eyes- "Melia why did you bring me here? What did I do?"

Happy: "Aye! Ms. Melia, tell Shulk you liiiiike him…" –turns to the blushing girl shaking her head- "What don't tell me you have cold feet to tell him how you really feel?"

Shulk: "Wait, what?" –Looks around the public who only nods back at him in response- "Melia is this true?"

Tenebrae: "Indeed, Master Shulk, the girl in front of you has been infatuated by your mere presence since the moment you two met, did you honestly not noticed?" –The centurion's eyes piercing through Shulk's eyes as the public waits for his answer-

Shulk: "Uhhh…" –fidgets with his hands- "I mean, no, I did… I did not…" (whispering) "I did not notice at all…"

Luke: "Are you sure that's all there is to it?" – skeptically looking at Shulk-

Shulk: "Maybe before Fiora came back I felt something as well…" –Emil jumps up and down in his seat with delight- "Maybe…"

Melia: "No! You cannot say that Shulk, Fiora is yours now!" –glares back at him as he lowers his head- "I cannot allow you to commit a foolish mistake, what do you think she would say if she heard you…?"

Fiora: "I would tell him, that I hope he's happy with his decision…" –a distraught girl runs across the set in a sea of tears- "And that at least I wish to be there when he marries Melia!"

Emil C.: "Oh boy, who would ever let the current girlfriend on the set…?" –guiltily asks the others in the panel with a sinister smile on his face- "We will talk to her later, after all we still have a couple of things we want to know about Fiora, the woman he says he's in love with…"

Tenebrae: "Cold, Master…" –The Centurion shakes his head trying to hide his smile- "Really cold, but that's show business for you!"

Happy: "Aye, Sir!" –flies around the set with a box of tissues for Fiora-

Luke: "Well then, what are you going to do about this new revelation, Melia?"

Melia: "I just want to be sure, Shulk do you or do you not have any feelings for me?

Shulk: "Maybe…?" This is too soon, I mean…"

Gray: "Shulk, I'm sorry to say this but grow some pair and then be sure of what you are going to say before you blurt things out that can hurt the hearts of other people that love you…" –pulls out a pair of glasses out of nowhere and glass of water as he daintily sips from it-

Shulk: "Maybe this was a mistake, maybe I should not have said what I said…" –Emil C. contorts on his seat as he asks Genis for an aspirin- "Maybe I should go back to how things where a few minutes ago…"

Melia: "I guess we can just act like neither of us ever said anything, right?" –the girl discouraged pulls out her hand ready to shake it with her friend-

Emil C.: "Oh no you're not!" –pushes Melia's hand away from Shulk's- "You girl, pull up your skirt stop crying and go for this man even if you have to handcuff him and give him a daily whipping!" –glares at her with murderous intent as the girl shivers in utter terror-

Tenebrae: "Wait what did you say, Master?" –The rest of the panel stares with their mouths wide open as Emil loses it on stage-

Emil C.: "And you miserable little swine!" –Pulls out sword and points at his heart- "You better get together with Melia unless you want the next time that you appear in this show during your memorial…" –pushes the sword deeper into the teen's flesh-

Shulk: "Help! He's going to kill me!" –Shakes hands alarmed as Emil starts laughing maniacally- "I am going to die! Why?! I'm still so young to die!" –Hyperventilates as the rest of the panel jump over Emil-

Emil C.: "Yes, you heard me I will personally plunge this sword up your…" –still threatening the boy as he's pulled to his own chair- "And then…." –the transmission of the camera is cut as the scene shifts to some random commercials-

Gray: "We are sorry to our viewers we are passing through some technical difficulties…" –the scream of an maniac cackles are heard on the background as a naked Natsu runs around the set yelling 'Freedom'-

Emil C.: "Get your hands off me!" –A strapped Emil is seen in the background as Luke comes back wearing a Doctor's outfit- "I will kill that boy! No! Not the needle… -Emil turns to Luke towering in front of him with a huge needle-

Luke: "It's ok, you need your rest…" –Tenebrae closes Emil's eyes- "Don't worry, I'll take personal care of you…" –seductively insinuates to his ear-

Emil C.: "No!" –Emil begs as the needle touches his bare skin- "Anything but that! Nooooo!" –Immediately falls asleep-

Tenebrae: "Now who's going to host this show?" –Tenebrae turns to the rest as they all shake their heads and finally lands his eyes on a certain white-haired half-elf-

Genis: "I can't do it, under-aged and other technical issues…" –sighs- "But we better cut this show right now!" –points at the still rolling camera as Natsu once again appears running on the background-

Like: "Right!" –turns to audience apologetically- "Disclaimer time!"

Happy: "Emil C. does not own Fairy Tail, Digimon Frontier or any other 'Tales of' game like Tales of Symphonia or Tales of the Abyss!" –calls ambulance to take the fighting Emil to the sanatorium-"I know he just lost a couple of marbles, but trust me he's not insane…"

Emil C.: "I'll be back…" –mutters in his sleep-

Gray, Tenebrae, Luke and Genis: "Most of the time…"

Moonlight Butler and Midnight Secretary

Chapter 4

"It is a man's own mind, not his enemy or foe that lures him to evil ways." Siddhartha Buddha.

"So, you want me to believe that story?" Lisanna sighed after recording every detail given to her by the little girl sitting beside her.

The girl nodded vehemently as she jumped out of her bed with ill balance, causing the small girl to almost fall on her tracks, running towards an old mahogany wardrobe placed beside the door. The young teen followed the small girl as she motioned her to approach her with her small hand and teary eyes into the depths of the wardrobe.

"Wow, for an old wardrobe it sure is big…" Lisanna commented as the small girl hushed her by gracefully placing her little hand over Lisanna's lips.

"This is it," Coco whispered as she used her pale hands to push one of the wooden boards off to the side and pulled an old and dusty bunny hat out of it with a smile on her dry lips.

"What is it?" The novice journalist crawled closer to the girl as she took out of the hat and old picture depicting a broad tall man with tan skin and a white mustache carrying a small child on his arms. But there was something off. At their right, a man and a woman appeared to be walking right beside him. The unknown couple seemed to be covered almost completely by the robes they were wearing.

"Is this even possible?" Lisanna gasped as she pondered the inside depths of the wardrobe. The ailing girl kneeling alongside the silver-haired teen nodded, pointing at the woman in the picture carrying an old amethyst colored hardcover book on her hand. As she did so, Coco took another book with similar style, but of a deep cerulean blue out of the hole in the plank.

"Do you believe me, now?" The little girl leaned towards Lisanna with hopeful eyes as the latter stared at her a little fazed out by the whole situation.

"Is this the room…?" An unknown voice came from outside the room. "I believe so," some other person deadpanned as the door was silently opened.

Coco immediately closed the wardrobe's door from the inside and ordered Lisanna to put on her bunny hat and some other lingering clothes inside the wardrobe over her outfit. Hesitantly at first, Lisanna did as she was told as the men outside walked towards Coco's bed.

"Where is she?" One of the men growled as he turned the bed upside down and walked towards the door.

"Stop being so impatient..." The man's partner commented as he motioned his partner towards the room's bathroom. "Perhaps she's just in the bathroom. I just pity what's to become of her," The man deviously chuckled as they entered the small room. On cue Coco jumped out of the closet, but not before begging Lisanna to hide inside until the coast was clear and made sure she placed the book and picture inside her satchel.

"Hey you girl!" She heard one of the man yelled as the sudden bolt of the door opened was heard. The sudden steps of someone sprinting out of the room echoed on Lisanna's ears. The young lass trembled as she pushed her body deeper inside the closet, making sure to keep herself hidden from anyone.

"Tell me one more time what happened," Jellal briefly glanced at the woman typing on her computer as he turned back to the reports on his hands.

"Yes, sir." The woman turned her laptop's screen to show pictures of a young blond girl lying on the autopsy bed. "The name of the diseased is Zoe Orimoto, 17 years old…"

"Clear indications of a struggle could be noticed on the back of her body," the woman pointed at the blackened bruises on the lower part of her body, "as well as serious blood lose from the bites and ripped flesh all over her body."

"I'm amazed she was able to get to the hospital without losing her head." The man chuckled as he served himself a drink from the small bar on his limousine. "Impeccable job as always, Meredy."

"It is my duty and honor to serve you, Jellal-sama." She gently lowered her head as she turned to her laptop once again.

"Just another thing, Sir." The woman commented as her boss raised an eyebrow and lowered his drink. "What is it?" The man monotonously inquired.

"There seemed to be a survivor to this incident." Jellal almost dropped his drink from his grasp as his face took on a serious rigid look. "The whereabouts are still unclear but the young man was the one who brought the girl…"

"I guess we'll have to visit the hospital then, shall we?" The blue-haired man returned unfazed to his habitual cold self as the woman nodded with her head and knocked on the driver's window as she gave the driver instructions to change the destination of the day.

The fearful silver-haired young journalist slowly crawled out of the closet trying to figure out her next move since the whole incident just passed faster than she could digest. Not wanting to be in that place any longer than necessary, she walked towards the hospital's hallway almost tripping as she felt a tight grip holding her back from her elbow.

"So where did you think you would go?" The man cackled as Lisanna tried to turn her face to her attacker. "Now, now..." The man pinned her to the wall as small squirm left Lisanna's lips.

"Unless you want to lose your precious little sight don't try anything funny." The man lasciviously licked the girl's cheek as he closed the gap between them. "Now then follow me, pretty lady." The man pushed the silver-haired girl towards the stairs of the hospital aisle.

"Focus, Lisanna," the girl looked around frantically to her surroundings noticing the almost empty aisle and the stair's door closing up to them, "I have only one chance to get away before we reach the stairs or I'll be a goner…"A sordid knock resounded on one of the walls making the man turn his sight to where the noise came from.

"Now!" The girl kicked the guy's shin before turning to one of the other aisles trying to get lost on the maze of rooms and halls. "You won't escape this easily!" The girl heard the man yell at her as she turned to the corner of another hall.

"Got you!" A firm hand pulled her inside one of the room and covered her mouth while another person closed the door behind her leaving them in complete darkness inside the shadows of the chamber.

"Shhhh!" The other unknown man whispered jumping over her body and pressing his chest over the terrified girl. "Stay still or we'll get caught!" The now more familiar, gentle voice seemed to calm the freaked out girl. "Still, who are they…?"The girl pondered trying to make out the owner's voice.

"Dude," one of the guys placed a hand over the other's shoulder, "what are you doing getting on top of a chick like that?" The guy shook his head as the other jumped off from on top of Lisanna, but not before asking her to keep silence.

"So, who are you guys?" Lisanna whispered a little skeptical of the men in front of her, but taking another look they seemed young. Pretty young at that, maybe even younger than her, "I'm sure they're not the ones who were after Coco, so…."

"Could you stop staring at us like we have never met before?" A jet black-haired young boy turned the dim light of his cellphone as he finally let a sigh of relief. "You seem okay to me." He carelessly patted her shoulder making her feel like a little girl.

"Geez, I only wanted to go and take a piss." The other guy chuckled as he sat on the floor beside Lisanna. "Girl, I've just met you this morning and I can already tell that you sure are a handful!" He playfully winked at her as she just stared at the ground embarrassed to even talk.

"Thank you very much, Tayuka and Juuji." The girl bowed her head as the two boys shared an ominous glare towards her. "What did I do now…?" Lisanna shrugged as the black-haired young man peeked outside of the room for any signs of their attackers and the other boy started to shrivel in a ball and cracked in laughter.

"Idiot…" The other boy who seemed more collected about the situation closed the door before walking back to the other two. "He's laughing because I think you got our names wrong, Ms. Strauss…"

"Really?" The girl gasped as her cheeks blushed making the brunet boy wearing a pair of goggles stop for a moment, nod with his head and pull himself up to sit back on his knees. "I am so sorry…"

"It's okay," the boy waved his hand dismissively as he looked at her face somewhat amused, "I guess further introductions are required, I am Koji Minamoto."

"And this is the most amazing adventure I have ever experienced in my entire life!" Koji punched his partner as he grinned at Lisanna and tried hiding his own excitement. "Oh, right, the Name's Takuya!"

"Takuya Kanbara!" He ruffled the girl's hair as she glared at him with murderous intent. "Let's see if this way you won't forget me, ne?" He teasingly blew inside Lisanna's ear as her whole body contracted and her face seemed drained from all life.

"You're such a brat." Koji looked at his clock before standing back on his feet. "Well, it's been thirty minutes as of now," the boy reached his arm towards Lisanna as she looked at him, "shall we try getting out here or what?"

"Yeah, this place is boring." Takuya seconded Koji as he walked towards the door.

"So, shall we?" The two guys stood in front of Lisanna as she walked outside of the room. "Not going to lie, those two were very impressive…" The girl could not avoid, but to chuckle as she was reminded of her boyfriend Loke and her best friend Natsu.

"This can't be right…" The old man placed his stethoscope over the young man's lean chest.

"How so, Doctor?" The worried silver-haired man came closer to the sleeping teen with worrisome eyes.

"We had to give him twice as much anesthesia than a normal boy with his constitution could handle," he walked closer to him opening one of his closed eyes, "yet, he's perfectly fine and above else he seems to be recovering pretty quickly…"

"Juvia thinks it is a miracle!" The energetic blue-haired woman jumped over the sleeping boy causing the teen in question to let out a small squirm in pain.

"But don't you think it was weird the way he was just convulsing a moment ago?" Laxus pondered on his chair as he lowered his head and sighed. "I need some fresh air, excuse me." The man commented before leaving the room in a rush.

"I still cannot say anything for certain," the old man worriedly looked up at the group, "but I sure agree that this case has been so very odd…" The man walked outside taking out some papers out of the bunch and throwing them to the trash can. "The last thing I need right now is more things to worry about, I guess this way it's better…"

"Hmmm…." A tall young man glared at the distance as the retreating figure of the doctor took the elevator and vanished inside of it.

"I really don't understand him, Erza." The blonde girl wolfed down her vanilla ice-cream as she watched an old movie on her Lacrima TV. "How is it that a guy just like brother or a total moron always has to get the girl…?" She fumed as her friend sat next to her drinking a hot cup of coffee.

"Beats me..." Erza turned to her work as she fervently typed information on her laptop.

"Erza!" The girl whined as she gently pushed her partner's elbow. "I asked you to watch the movie with me not work…"

"Lucy, if I don't finish these papers before he comes back I will have to stay all night here." The woman sighed rubbing her templates as he turned to her friend.

"Awesome!" Lucy chimed as she jumped off the sofa. "I've never had a sleepover in my life!" She gleefully turned to her friend pulling her in a hug.

"We can spend all night talking and get to know each other better!" Erza just smiled as her eyes betrayed her for a sway moment, which was more than enough to make Lucy notice.

"You don't want to?" She pummeled as the redheaded beauty took off her glasses and gracefully lowered her head. "I apologize, but my main responsibility is my brother."

"You most really love him, ne?" The girl moved to the corner of the sofa and stared at the TV.

"Now, you should not be like that…" Erza pushed her laptop away. "I understand you are feeling lonely, but you must know that your brother loves you." The redheaded beauty held her little finger as she tangled it with Lucy's.

"I know, Erza." The girl sighed taking a handful of popcorn on her hand and bitterly swallowing it on one stand. "It still does not make it any easier to be left behind in this gloomy place, you know?"

"I understand," the brilliant secretary gently patted her head as an idea came to her, "so how does you, me and a couple of tickets to the movies sound?"

"Really?" Lucy perked up as she jumped up and down her seat.

"Yeah, let's go next week." Erza wrote a note on her personal agenda. "Is it ok if my brother comes with us, though?" The woman bit her lip as the young teen pondered upon the question.

"It'll be awesome!" The girl nodded as the duo returned to watch the ending of their movie.

"I used to dream a long time ago," a young girl sat on a lonely chair smiling at the teen on the bed, "a time when I hoped and lived along with all those who loved me and I knew that love would never let me die…"

"I dreamed that God would at least forgive her," a young man with blue overalls sat drinking a cup of coffee. as he stared at the busy streets outside the miserable hospital.

"Then we were young and naïve about the truth of this crude reality…" A third voice of a man walking back with a crumbled piece of paper on his hand read its contents with great eagerness and tears rolled down his cheeks.

"And dreams were made," the girl chuckled as she turned to the boy looking at the window with sourness in her heart, "and wasted with no regrets or consequence, until this day…"

"He once slept a summer with my friends and by my side in an endless dream," the girl walked towards the sleeping teen as he churned in his bed, "when he filled my days with endless wonder and laughter that could not be silenced…" The blonde maiden carelessly brushed her hand over the sleeping boy's forehead just to pass right through it.

"But she was gone when the first wind of autumn came," the brunet young man turned as he sighed and kindly smiled at the other man hugging the sleepy boy on his arms, "and still I dream she'll come back to me and all of our friends as we just did last night…"

"I thought we would live the years together as my friend and confidant," the man's hand trembled as he looked at the pale image of his brother, "as my family and my support through all adversities…" The silver haired man held his head tightly to the teen's neck.

"But we all knew there are some dreams that cannot be." The girl walked towards the room's mirror just to find herself looking back to the nothingness as she stood there in grimace and her own body faltered as mist on the river.

"And there are some things we cannot foretold as we're mere humans," the man stood up as he shred the piece of paper into small pieces and turned to the smiley face of a certain salmon haired young man carrying some stuff in both of his hands came inside the room.

"But now life has killed the dream I once believed." The three of them mumbled under their breath as the rest of the visitors came back into the room.

"Hey guys!" Natsu slowly walked inside the room carrying tons of food in his hands as he placed them on the table. "Where are the others?" The young teen looked around as JP shrugged his shoulders.

"I think Ms. Locksheart had to leave somewhere," Lyon commented as he reached for a can of soda over the top of the pile of food, "and Laxus just left a moment ago after the doctor came to sedate my brother…"

"What happened to him?" Natsu stared at Gray as he rested on his bed under the vigilant eye of his brother.

"The doctor doesn't know, right Lyon?" JP rubbed his temples as the young scientist nodded with his head and sat once again beside his ill brother.

"Perhaps it was just a slight side-effect from the accident." Natsu placed an arm around him and offered him a green slimy looking gelatin and a pat on the back. "You need to eat something."

"Where are the rest of the guys, Natsu?" JP looked around as Koji and Takuya entered the room a little phased out and whispered things between each other.

"These two idiots just left me behind saying that they would go to the bathroom," the young college boy fumed as they shrugged their shoulders, "and just came back here a moment ago with Lisanna…"

"Where is she by the way?" Lyon wondered turning his tiresome eyes back to the small group in Gray's room.

"The last time I saw her she was calling her sister, I think…" Koji scratched the back of his head as he strolled around the room deep in thought.

"Hi, Mira-nee…" A young girl whispered on her cellphone as she fretfully recoiled under the arms of a man.

"Everything's ok now, Lisanna." Loke reassured the girl as he kindly kissed her hair and hummed a lullaby.

"Thank you, Loke." The girl smiled at her boyfriend as she hung up the phone and turned to his embrace.

"She'll be coming to pick you up I presume?" The amateur journalist nodded as she anxiously looked back at her wristwatch and sighed.

"I will see that you get safe back home, but most likely I'll stay here…" The blond man apologetically commented with guilt written all over his face as the girl could only stiff a laugh.

"It's ok; I know your friend here is the one who needs care right now." She gave her boyfriend a gentle peck on the cheek as Loke hugged her back. "Besides, I don't think those men will try to do anything funny in this situation…"

"Well, let's start by keeping it that way from now on." The man naughtily tickled the young teen's nose. "So for goodness sake, try not burying our noses in other people's business, for me?" Lisanna glared back at her partner as he gloated at his girlfriend's snubbed expression.

"I am not getting into other people's business!" The girl infuriately spouted out as she pushed the man away. "I am researching because as an amateur news reporter…"

"…You need to train and polish your abilities to relate with people and become even greater than you are right now so that one day you'll get the Pulitzer, correct?" Loke commented nonchalantly with a smile plastered on his face.

"How did you…" The girl gasped a little phased out by her boyfriend. "Trust me," the man daintily taunted Lisanna with a smirk on his face, "you are way more predictable than you think Ms. Super Reporter."

"I am not." She scoffed turning her head at walking outside the hospital.

"Oh, Lisanna, don't get mad…" The star quarterback walked tightly behind the girl as she dismissively quickened her pace and fruitlessly tried to lose him in the crowd of people walking in and out if the hospital.

"Can we please talk this over?" Loke made an effort swaying the girl with his charming voice without success as he heard a soft growl from her as she stopped right at the corner of the street with her chin held up high.

"I apologize…" The man grumbled annoyed as Lisanna turned her head and sighed not giving the man a moment to catch his breath as she raised her eyebrow.

"Ok, fine!" Loke lowered his shoulders as he looked straight up to her eyes. "I apologize for making fun of your profession and not being there for you when the whole incident happened so that I could be there to protect you…"
"And…" Lisanna tapped her feet as the blond jock stopped a moment to think all the while confronted by his girlfriend's disapproving glare took a toll on him.

"And swear to only look at you my beautiful moonlight beauty every hour of the day as your humble servant until death do us apart," the man came closer to the girl as she coiled into a ball and dreamily sighed, "because to me you are the very air I breathe, my beloved…" The girl giggled as a light blush took over her cheeks.

The love-struck girl jumped in her boyfriend's protecting strong arms and with a heartfelt kiss to his lips she smiled back at him. "Silly lion, you already had me with the 'I swear to only look at you'."

"Ahoy! Lisanna!" The sound of a car's horn came from behind the couple to find a thrilled young woman taking a picture of the couple as she cheered for them in an amusing theatrical way.

"I think your ride has come to pick you up…" Loke awkwardly shook his head as he waved his hand back to the older woman and help Lisanna back to the car with a smile and a peck on the cheek.

"Take care, Loke." The news reporter newbie sullenly looked at her boyfriend as she left the hospital in her car.

"Hey, you…" The subtle voice of a woman chimed inside the young man's head. ""Wake up sleepy head, time for you to come back…"

"Who's there?" Gray opened his eyes to find himself in a white room completely alone. "Where am I?" The young man looked around trying to find a door or exit to the desolate room.

"Hey, aren't you listening to me!" The same feminine voice called out to him. "Come back to your senses or you'll be in great trouble!" The voice urged the young valedictorian as the light of the room turned dim and misty.

"Who are you?" The boy earnestly whipped his head back and forward as the voice echoed in all the walls. "What do you want from me?"

"To save your life of course!" A hazy cloud of smoke appeared in front of the petrified teen as a ghastly hand reach towards him.

"Ghost!" Gray jumped back in utter terror as he closed his eyes. "Get away from me! I don't taste good, I swear!"

"Oh, for Pete's sake, open your eyes and look at me!" The voice yelled annoyed as the young lad hesitantly opened his eyes to meet face to face with a familiar blonde haired girl.

"Zoe…?"The young boy stuttered as the faint silhouette of the girl he met a couple of days ago jumped all over him with teary eyes. "Oh, thank goodness, it worked!" The girl muttered between sniffs.

"Why are you here?" Gray automatically commented as the girl snapped out of her trail of thoughts.

"That's not important right now," Zoe came closer to the clueless boy lying on his knees. "Listen to me very carefully and promise to do what I say, ok?" The teen merely nodded as the girl thanked her lucky stars for having someone listen to her after her death.

"There are some strange people waiting for you when you wake up," the blonde teen shook the man alarmed, "and by the looks of it they are trying to kill you!"

"How can you tell?" Gray still a little bit skeptical about the situation stared and the ghastly figure of the girl he once saved.

"Well, for starters they're trying to inject you with some really weird stuff through your I.V.!" The girl pointed at one of the white walls as the nebulous clouds of mist showed two hooded men pinning over Gray's unconscious body as he struggled in his sleep as the other man injected some kind of silver looking liquid inside Gray's body.

"Why are they doing this?" The frightened brunette boy looked in utter horror at the scene unable to wake from the nightmare he was in.

"I don't know but your brother…" Zoe gloomily sighed.

"My brother?" The teen interrupted the startled girl as futilely he tried to shake her body. "What about my brother?" He anxiously replied as the ghost fidgeted with her fingers.

"You see…" The girl sheepishly smiled as she tried to explain what she just saw.

"I really don't know what they did to him," Zoe pondered for a moment as she closed her eyes in intense thought, "I just know they came from behind him and placed a handkerchief on his mouth before he fainted …"

"Then they took him out of the room, but I don't know what…" The girl solemnly sighed not able to give any more information to her friend before he abruptly interrupted her with an agonizing howl.

" What's happening to me?" Gray instinctively pulled his hands over his temples somehow trying to ease the pain. "My body feels like it's boiling from inside!" The boy cried out as the ghastly girl couldn't do anything but watch him suffer.

"Oh, no!" The blonde girl pressed the gentle boy's hands upon her chest as she looked at him with compassionate eyes. "I think it's that thing they put on your IV, you have to wake up, now!" Zoe assured her partner as the latter tried to focus on her to alleviate the pain.

"But, how?" The boy squirmed on his place completely exhausted and scared of his current state.

"I don't know," the girl pouted completely defeated at the moment, "but if you don't do anything not only you but your brother could die…" She reminded him causing the latter's face to suddenly turn strong and mature just the same way he looked the day he saved her, just like a hero, the girl mentally thought.

"No!" Gray growled from his core as a binding light covered the whole room and a single door appeared out from nowhere. "I won't allow it!" The couple ran towards the door determined to get out of wherever they were together.

"Sir, he's changing!" One of the hooded men called the other as Gray's body seemed to boil and expand little by little.

"It matters not," the man said as he pointed a gun at Gray's head, "we just need to shoot him and then problem solved…"

"But what about the brother, Sir?" The man inquired as their leader let out an amused chuckle.

"What about him?" The man shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly pointing the gun closer to the young boy's forehead. "You know our rules, anybody who sees our faces while in a mission must be dutifully exterminated."

"Just get your gun ready, we'll just get rid of him after I deal with this boy…" The two other nodded with their heads as their boss ended Gray's life.

"You said you'll get rid of whom exactly…?" An unknown voice came from behind them as a man wearing an expensive vintage suit and leather gloves came in with a vicious look on his eyes.

"You!" The leader turned to point at the man without looking twice at his face. "What are you doing here?" The man demanded as the other two unsheathed their weapons.

"I should be asking you the exact same question," the man walked inside the room taking little to no attention to the weapon pointed at him, "I never thought that attacking innocent convalescent teenagers was part of your job." The man raised an eyebrow as he took a quick glance at Gray's state before glaring back at the leader in question.

"Then again, it's not like I've ever expected too much of you people…" The man scoffed as he placed his gloves inside one of his back pockets.

"I do not need to answer or tolerate any of your accusations!" The man trembled as he took the safety off the gun and got his finger on the trigger with murderous intent on his eyes.

"As a matter in fact I think I'll deal with you right now and finally shutting that haughtily mouth of yours!" The man cackled as he shot the first bullet to the amused man just to be met with his hand wide open.

"My, three against me…" The man shook his head dropping the bullet on the ground and staring right back to his aggressor. "It is such an uneven battle you know…"

"Are you afraid?" The man smugly pointed at the businessman's hand started boiling and the flesh peeled off like butter much to the man's surprise.

"On the contrary," the man disappeared in an instant just to reemerge from behind the leader his hand piercing thru one of his henchmen's heart, "I think that you should start running before I kill you too…" The man's voice hissed as his wicked smile led out a pair of sharp fangs show up like two gleaming gems under the lights of the hospital room.

"Damn it!" The man turned around towards the room's exit in a blur closely followed by his henchman. "Next time I see you, you'll pay for mocking me!" The man gritted under his breath as he left the precincts with nothing but a few curses behind.

"That is if you live long enough to see me again…" The man turned to the young girl that walked inside the room and with a subtle nod of his head the girl closed the door right behind her and moved towards the man perching out of the window towards the retreating car.

"Master, do you want me to follow him?" The young girl inquired her phone already on her ear just to be met with a gentle tap over her pink hair.

"No, he is of little consequence to us." The man snapped his head back as he leaned over the boy's torrid body. "What I need you to tell me is why the boy's body is reacting with such stupor to whatever those men injected him with, understood?"

"Yes, Sir!" The girl touched Gray's wrist as her pupils died out and her whole body felt numbed to the chair at her side. "I can tell by the way his body is behaving that his accelerated immunological system seems to be fighting whatever the men placed in his body to the point of speeding the change rate to an abnormal degree…" The girl informed her master with a monotonous voice as the man reached for her shoulder and woke her from her trance.

"I see, smart men…" The man chuckled as he looked down at the boy as his body changed in a matter of seconds before their eyes. "They know that their company would not allow them to kill an innocent boy even if he was not all human in there unless he was already one-hundred percent turned…"

"So did they force him into this?" The girl's empty eyes lingered for a minute towards a lonely corner of the room.

"Correct, I think the best thing to do at this moment is to…" The man commenced speaking before he was abruptly interrupted by the hoarse cough of the teen's throat as he slowly opened his eyes.

"Please, help my brother…" Gray whispered between coughs trying to raise his arm towards his saviors.

"So you're awake?" The man growled staring at the brunette valedictorian with annoyance and begrudgingly indignation as he touched his coat with his bare hand. "How do you feel?" The man mustered to ask as he easily removed himself from the boy's grip and cleaned the spot where he had touched him with a handkerchief.

"My brother he's…" The boy painfully pointed out as he drifted his eyes from one place to the other unable to fully move as his body tensed up and twisted and his whole frame felt different than he remembered.

"He's fine, I sent my aid to help him and take him to my limousine." The man placed his gloves back on as he patted the boy's head like a young boy finding a new pet to play with for his birthday.

"Relax kid; I'm not planning on doing anything to him." The man assured the skeptical boy who seemed getting more lucid and stronger by the minute. "As a matter in fact, I'm taking you too…" The man motioned his head as his servant walked passed him and sat beside Gray's bedside for a bit.

"Sir, I am grateful for your help but I think we can take care of ourselves without any help from strangers…" The boy pushed his body up as he sat straight on the hospital's bed; the mysterious man's eyes gleaming with mischievous delight at the fighting spirit the teen was showing even in one of his most vulnerable moment not skipping a beat with the conversation.

"Very keen as always, Gray." The man applauded the boy gaining a condescending look from the man as the girl sat there speechless through the entire conversation. "But of little concern in this case, since I am taking you with me whether you like it or not as not only am I thinking of your own safety but for the safety of everyone in this building, as well…" The man frigidly stated with an indecipherable expression under the dim lights of the empty room.

"What are you talking about?" The boy blurted out as the girl beside him started restlessly searching for something inside her purse.

"Just look at yourself, Fullbuster." The pink-haired lady placed a mirror on his hands as he gave a first good luck at his bulky arm before venturing to his own reflection on the glass. "Do you see anything different?" The man's expression unmoving as the poor guy almost had a heart attack at what his eyes were seeing…

"What is the meaning of this?" The teen almost immediately dropped the mirror and started touching his whole body noticing the extreme changes he had undergone in just a couple of hours he was knocked unconscious. "My body is…"

"Feeling as if it's boiling hot?" The man said in a matter-in-fact tone as the boy nodded with his head. "Your lean, feeble body has augmented its muscular mass over 300 times?" The teen immediately opened up his hospital cloak as the man pointed to Gray's surprise the now firm and tight abs that had replaced his soft belly.

"Your facial complexion has been rough out and your senses augmented to superhuman levels?" The boy could only swallow his on saliva as he took another look at his face wielding a 'wild' feeling about it…? He could not pinpoint exactly, but whatever it was Gray new this was not natural and could only listen quietly to the man's explanation.

"Your dexterity and physical stamina could help you through the toughest of courses in any sport or contest?" The man threw a ball at the young college boy just to be caught by him in midair with ease. "In other words, your looks right now could make yourself pass for a professional male model for the Sorcerer's magazine?" The man winked at the sweaty boy as his cheeks blushed slightly at the last comment.

"This cannot be good…" Gray turned to find Zoe looking at back at him with pity and true compassion as she carelessly tried to stroke the young boy's hair.

"Trust me it is not." The man flatly stated looking right into the dead girl's eyes and back to Gray's incredulous eyes. "And if you care enough for the lives of everyone here you'll do the right thing and follow me unless you want them to end as the girl standing beside you…" At that Gray and Zoe could not do anything, but to gasp in disbelief as the man pointed at the girl's spirit.

"You can hear her..?" Gray shockingly questioned the man that at the moment seemed now less than eager to answer his question as he roamed the room in circles.

"I can do way more than just hear her, boy." The man finally snapped as his tone more threatening than before ordered him to silence. "I can help you only, if you come with me…" The man stretched his hand as the teen reflected in this situation.

"Who? What are you, Sir?" The young valedictorian cautiously shook hands with the unknown man before him as the latter gave Gray an arrogant smiled and made a phone call on his cellphone.

"My name?" The blue-haired man started a little distracted with his call as he snapped his fingers for his aid to take the call for him "Well, no one in particular, I am just Jellal Fernandez CEO of Fernandez Corp. and the man who just saved thousands of lives…" He sarcastically commented obviously boasting his status to the indifferent teen who merely shrugged his shoulders in understanding.

"Now what I am, I'll tell you in due time when you earn the right to know, but for now you can call me your new boss…" The man motioned the girl as she hung up with the phone merely whispering to Jellal that the necessary arrangements had been made in his manor.

"Boss…?" Gray almost jumped out of his bed like some savage beast trying to escape its encasement just a moment too late as the young woman got a grip of his arm with super human strength and pulled him back to the bed.

"Congratulations, Fullbuster, you're hired!" The man spitefully remarked while his aid kept the boy in his bed. "Meredy, put him to sleep and take him to the limo…" The man ordered the young girl as he proudly left the room without any last words to the kid.

"Understood; good night, Mr. Fullbuster." The young girl climbed over the young teen as she pinned her face two inches away from his and stared back at him.

"Wait, what…?" Was the young teen's sole reaction a moment before his gaze was fully captured by the enticing look of Meredy's beautiful orbs and giving in to the overflowing feeling of tiredness over his body as he felt that penetrating eyes of hers piercing right into his soul and ordered him to sleep, yet again.

"There is still a lingering issue, Officer." An old man sitting in the middle of the great throne room looked directly at the man kneeling in front of him as the men and women sitting at His Majesty's side nodded in agreement.

"What could it be?" The man gently raised his head as the King smiled at him in response. "The report gave thorough information of the incidents from that day even a little Intel on the new breed that came from incident M1DN1GH7…" The old man nodded with his head as he assured the young man about his report's accuracy.

"However, outer sources say that before the girl was dealt with by The Company," the old King's bitter sourness evident as he mentioned the incident, "they allowed a silver-haired girl escape their grasp and unable to recapture her, she was set free…" The man snorted bemused as subtle whispers and quiet chuckles could be heard from the rest of The Court.

"I saw her while in my rounds, my King." The man confirmed nonchalantly as the rest of the King's Court took note of his vassal's words. "Not really a threat as far as I could tell." The man fixed his hair as he bowed his head back to the ground before its Eminence.

"That same outer source tells me it is of our common interest to get rid of her immediately before she starts spreading information about our actions to the public." Another man in the Court added as he pressed the King with some files at hand. "The last thing we want right now is more bleak propaganda against us by the rest of this world…" A couple of murmurs all in concur agreed to the court man's statement as the King ordered silence in the room.

"Do you think it was The Company's plan to let her go so we would take the hit for the whole incident before the Council?" The young commander suggested to his King placed his hand on his chin and kept silence…

"Irrelevant, but quite possible." Another woman in the court spoke with a hint of lascivious dallies on her haughty tone towards the Commander. "Besides, our issue in this moment is to deal with the girl." She flatly stated, her eyes not leaving the young commander's strong silhouette.

"I would suggest doing it in secrecy, Sir." The young prince who had been silent through the whole conference finally raised his opinion gladly taken by the King.

"I concur with you my child," the man turned to his son as he asked his vassal to rise from his feet and listen to the Prince's suggestion without hesitation, "and I think for this mission you'll lead the team, Commander!" The young man earnestly bowed his head to the King, his uneasiness slightly evident only to the trained eye.

"I am flattered, your Grace." The young man assured the King as he humbly bowed his head, yet again. "But, the girl seems to know me and might freak her out if I'm seen; it could turn pretty ugly…" The man assured the King appealing to him with never faulting propriety and modesty in manners and in words as the Prince cynically frowned his brow to the young man.

"Very well," the old monarch raised both arms as he turned from his Court back to the keen Commander, "but you are the only one here who knows more about her appearance since my outer source was not able to give this Court any more useful information…"

"So you shall give us a little more useful information about her in order for our team to succeed in this important task, thrall…" The Prince's mocking tone disregarded by the latter as he took out of his pocket a little envelop and showed it to the Court.

"Don't worry, my King!" The man opened the envelop to reveal a picture of a certain silver-haired woman wearing a long magenta dress posing in front of a camera as a waitress of some sort. "This is a picture of our target; I hope this will be helpful to my King." The man handed it over to one of the servants as he took it on his hands and gave it to the King to appraise.

"Astounding work as always, Commander!" The Old King and the entire Court excepting the Prince, of course, applauded the man's great effort as they all took a look at the said woman. "I'll just tell our Sentinel Squad and we won't have to worry about our secrecy being revealed to the world…" The Old man raised from his seat but not before congratulating the Commander's effort in person as the rest of the Court was dismissed leaving only the young man behind.

"Good luck surviving that, I really pity you for getting involved in such a situation." The young Commander walked out of the throne room as he made his way to the Crew's changing room. "I hope I was able to help enough here..." As he left the dim building with a grim smile as his sole partner, he knew that whatever had transpired during his conversation with the King, he had sentenced an innocent woman to her inevitable death.

Gray: "Say, Happy, what happened to our last couple?" -Looks back at the cat who smiles back at him-

Happy: "Surprisingly enough, Melia-chan and Shulk-kun did wind up together and are soon to be married!" –thows confetti and all around the stage-

Luke: "Wow! How did that happened?" –Excitedly applauds-

Tenebrae: "Well the last time I talked to Melia she said she took Emil's advice to heart and decided to…"

Luke: "To never give up!" –The red-haired swordsman interrupts Tenebrae- "Awww! That's so sweet!" –Gives a thumps up for the couple-

Tenebrae: "No, she decided to tie Shulk up and give him a daily whip until he got used to it and started liking it!" –Mischievously winks at the latter who looks at him fazed out-

Gray: "Now he cannot pass a day without asking Melia for his daily whip…" – Gray cackles as he rolls on the floor amused-

Happy: "Isn't that romantic…?" –Happy honestly asks as his eyes form hearts-

Tenebrae: "Ahhh…" –Looks back at Happy as a deranged lunatic- "Nope…" –he finally comments shaking his head-

Gray: "Still, I'm impress Emil's advice worked and now Melia and Shulk are in a healthy and loving relationship…" –nods his head as he recalls the facts of the last case-

Luke: "Define 'Healthy'…" –Luke glares at the others as he still cannot digest the information-

Tenebrae: "Changing of topic here, since Master's sudden break down…" – a lonely tear falls from the Centurion's eye- "We looked for a good prospect that could take Master's place for a brief while…"

Gray: "To be totally honest, I'm against the whole idea since this guy is so full of himself…" –spits out as he remember's the guy- "But, oh well…" –shrugs it off as the camera changes to a gloomy Luke-

Luke: "Besides, he's not nice and funny to tease as Emil-kun was…" –sighs as Gray nods in agreement-

Happy: "I don't know why you don't like him…" –Happy comes flying with a fish on his mouth-"He's awesome!" –Gives an approving thumbs up to the audience-

Tenebrae, Luke and Gray: "He gave you fish didn't he?" –Glare at him with angry eyes-

Happy: "N-No…" –The rest of the panel raise their eyebrows simultaneously at the cat- "Maybe…?"

Tenebrae, Luke and Gray: "Knew it!" –Turn around and ignore his existence-

Genis: "Anyways," –coughs- "please give a round of applause to our temporary host…. Andrew!" –The ominous theme song of the Empire from Star Wars is heard on the background as a young man with a beard and a hat enters the set-

Andrew: "Hello, people…" –waves his hand- "From now on you'll all revere at me as Lord Andrew and whoever goes against my will is going to face capital punishment." –Everyone looks at him with skeptical eyes- "Any questions…?" –Takes out a gun-

Luke: "I have a feeling we were better off with Emil-kun…" –Luke trembles as he hugs Tenebrae-

Gray: "You think?" –Gray annoyingly retorts-