~Levy~

"Gajeel!" I rubbed my eyes, groaning a little at the sound of loud pounding. "Gajeel!" Who is that? I opened my eyes and sat up when I finally woke up enough to recognize the voice. Lily? Gajeel came-to around the same time, and he shuffled over to the door, cursing under his breath.

"What?" He snapped, throwing the door open.

"Lily!" I gasped, watching as the Exceed fell forward, collapsing onto the ground as soon as the door was open. He was covered in cuts, and had a large wound in his side.

"What happened?" Gajeel asked as I picked Lily up and gently cradled him in my arms.

"Dar…rick…" he managed before passing out.

"Darrick did this?" I asked, shocked.

"I knew that bastard was untrustworthy," Gajeel growled. He took Lily, then headed for the door. "Shrimp, get Silas and go straight to Fairy Tail. I'm taking Lily ahead so Wendy can patch him up."

"Right," I nodded, throwing on a pair of black jeans and a beige tank top before running to Silas's room. I gently woke him up, got him dressed, then helped him put on his shoes.

"One more thing," I mumbled, returning to my room. I dug a small box out of the closet and opened it, staring down at my old gun. It certainly has been a while, I thought as I strapped it to my right thigh. Returning to the living room, I grabbed Silas's hand and walked quickly to Fairy Tail.

The organization was in an uproar when we arrived, wondering what had happened to Lily—and why Darrick had attacked him. Gajeel was coming out of the infirmary when we arrived, so I immediately rushed over to him as Silas went off to play with the other children.

"Is he alright?" I asked, fearing the worst.

"He's fine," Gajeel sighed, running a hand through his un-brushed hair.

"Here, I brought you some clothes," I chuckled, handing him the small bag. He had left in a rush, so still only wore his pajama pants.

"Thanks," he nodded. "Once I'm dressed, I'm taking a team out to find Darrick. Then we'll—" He was cut off when the front doors opened and Darrick walked in. Well, more like limped in. He was in just as bad of shape as Lily, and I noticed he had to lean against the doorway for support.

"That…won't be necessary," he said, breathing heavily.

With a growl, Gajeel marched over to him, punching him in the face hard enough to send him back through the doorway. I ran after Gajeel when he went outside, knowing it wouldn't end well if I left him alone.

"What the hell did you do to Lily?" Gajeel snarled, picking Darrick roughly off the ground by the front of his shirt.

"Nothing," Darrick wheezed.

"He said—"

"I was helping him. We…we were attacked by Shadow Dwellers on our way back to the party last night."

"I don't believe you," Gajeel frowned.

Darrick chuckled, stopping short when he began coughing. "So skeptical," he finally managed.

"We need to take him to the infirmary," I said.

Gajeel turned to me, shocked. "Shrimp, he attacked Lily!"

"I'm not so sure," I told him, shaking my head. "Lily said Darrick's name, but that doesn't mean he was the one who attacked him. And Darrick's just as beat up as Lily. Do you really think he would have come back here in that condition if he really had done it?"

"Maybe he came back to finish the job," Gajeel growled, turning back to Darrick.

"Darrick isn't that foolish," I sighed. "He would know he wouldn't be able to get close to Lily, so why wouldn't he wait until he was healed?"

"If we take him to the infirmary, we'll be taking him straight to Lily," he argued.

"And if we don't, he'll die," I snapped.

"I'm not so sure that's a bad thing," he said, darkly.

"Gajeel—"

"Levy is right." Master Makarov said, suddenly.

"Master?" He was standing in the doorway, his arms crossed as he watched us. "Take him to the infirmary. Darrick isn't our enemy."

Gajeel glared at the old man before doing as he said, not being too gentle with Darrick as he went. "I'm staying in there and guarding him," he said as he passed Master.

"That boy," Master sighed.

"You believe Darrick?" I asked.

He nodded. "I recruited Darrick myself, so I know he isn't a threat to us."

"Why did you recruit him?"

"When he's ready to tell you, he well," Master said, offering nothing more.

"What does that mean?" I frowned.

"It means, the reason I recruited him is up to him to tell everyone. It isn't my place. I know why he's here, and so does he. That will remain between us until he is comfortable enough to tell the rest of you. For now, it's probably best that he keeps it to himself, though," he sighed.

My frowned deepened in confusion. "I don't understand."

He chuckled. "Try not to dwell on it too much. Just know that I trust Darrick, and his reasons for joining Fairy Tail are good ones."

I nodded, excusing myself before going to the infirmary. Wendy was just finishing up with Darrick when I arrived. Cleaned up, he didn't look quite as bad. His injuries weren't very deep, and the only serious-looking one was a gash on his left arm that Wendy had put a gauze and wrap on. Lily's injuries—thankfully—were the same. The only one that was alarming was the cut on his side. The rest were mere scratches and would heal quickly.

"How are they?" I asked.

Wendy smiled, wiping sweat from her forehead. "They'll be fine. Darrick passed out after Gajeel brought him in, but with some rest he'll recover. The same goes for Lily. They just need some sleep."

"That's good news," I smiled. "Thanks, Wendy."

"No problem," she said, leaving Gajeel and I alone with Lily and Darrick. He still looked angry as he sat between Lily and Darrick's beds with his arms crossed.

I took a seat on the edge of Lily's bed, looking at him. "Master trusts Darrick, so you shouldn't worry," I said.

"He's hiding something."

"I know," I nodded. "Master said that whatever he's hiding, he'll tell us when he's ready. Master already knows what it is, and told me it wasn't anything to worry about."

"The old man has been wrong before," Gajeel said.

"Why are you so determined to hate Darrick?' I asked, quietly.

He looked at me, his red eyes searing into mine. "I'm not. I just don't trust him. Honestly, I don't know why you're so determined not to hate him. You've been defending him since he got here, and you don't even know the guy."

"Maybe I don't know him, but I have a feeling that he isn't the one at fault here. I believe in Master's judgment."

"Until I know what he's hiding, I can't take that chance," Gajeel said. I sighed, knowing I'd never be able to convince him.

"I'm going back to the main hall," I said. "Let me know when they wake up."

~Gajeel~

I cursed quietly to myself after Levy had left the infirmary. Sorry, Shrimp, but I'm not taking any chances here. I won't let you get hurt again. I had her and Silas to protect now, so I wasn't going to trust Darrick until he proved he was trustworthy.

And he wouldn't be trustworthy until I knew what he was hiding.

"Gajeel?"

I grinned at Lily when he opened his eyes. "Hey, cat. Glad to see you're awake."

"How long was I unconscious?" He asked, sitting up.

"About an hour," I said. "You were pretty banged up, but Wendy healed most of your injuries."

"I'll have to thank her," he nodded.

"Tell me what happened." Might as well get straight to the point.

"I was heading back to Fairy Tail last night for the party when one of my men arrived in town. He said he had urgent news, so I followed him; Darrick was with me, so he went along as well. Seeking some privacy, we went to the old building just outside of Magnolia that we usually use to exchange sensitive information," Lily explained. I knew immediately which building he meant. Marley's old bar.

After Astaroth was defeated, I bought the bar and intended to burn the damned thing to the ground. Lily had suggested using it instead as a place to exchange information, since everyone thought it was no longer in use. That's where we did most of the research that later led to the over-throwing of the old council. We still used it to talk to informants from Era and our own men who worked cases that required privacy.

"So, what happened?"

"Well, we found out who the spy inside the council is," Lily said, dryly. "Apparently, that guard had been working with the group of Astaroth's followers who are trying to kill you. I'd say he killed the man who shot you and has been passing information over to their group."

"How do you know?" I frowned.

"He led us into an ambush," he sighed. "About thirty demons were waiting for us when we got there. We managed to kill them all, but just barely. If Darrick hadn't been there, I probably wouldn't have survived."

"What about the spy?"

"Dead, unfortunately. He attacked me, so I had no choice."

"I'm going to head back to Era," I said. "I want to question that woman again. Maybe I can get her to tell me more." She had told us a little the day before, but had refused to give up any valuable information. All she told us was that I was being targeted by that group, and that there were over two hundred of the followers so far. For some reason, it seemed as though at least half of them were half demons. Maybe she'll tell me why.

"I'll go—"

"You aren't going anywhere. You're going to stay in bed until Wendy says otherwise," I instructed. "I'll be back in a few hours."

"Be careful," Lily told me. I nodded, then went to find Levy.

"Is Lily awake?" She asked as soon as I sat next to her at the bar.

"Yeah."

"Great," she smiled. "I'm going to go see him."

"Shrimp," I said, catching her arm as she headed towards the infirmary.

"Yes?" She asked, turning.

"I have to go to the council for a while. I'll try to make it back by dinner."

"You'll be gone that long?" She frowned. It was barely nine in the morning, so I understood why she was disappointed.

"Hopefully not," I sighed. "I'm going to interrogate that woman again, see if I can get anymore answers out of her."

"Be safe," she said before kissing me. "We'll be here when you get back."

"I'll hurry," I promised. I found Silas, told him goodbye, and then left for the train station. The ride was unbearably long, and I couldn't stop thinking about Darrick and what his damned secret was. What's so bad that he would need to hide it from everyone in the organization? It was even stranger that Master allowed him to keep it a secret. He usually encouraged us to be open with each other, but Darrick seemed to be the exception. Makarov knows what it is, and says it isn't bad, yet Darrick still wants to hide it from everyone in Fairy Tail. What the hell is it?

The train stopped before I could dwell on it too much, and I graciously got off. I sat heavily on a bench as I caught my breath and waited for my head and stomach to stop spinning before going to Era to the council building. I stayed alert as I walked, wanting to be ready if any of those cult idiots attacked in broad daylight.

"Councilman Redfox," the guards at the front entrance said, bowing. "Welcome back."

"How many times do I have to tell ya," I sighed, "call me Gajeel."

"Sir, shall I call the other council members to the meeting room?" The taller of the two, a brunette woman, asked.

"No. I came to see the half-breed we brought in yesterday."

"Right away," she nodded, leading me inside as the other guard remained at his post.

"Have Lily's men reported back yet?" I asked.

"No, sir," she answered. "They just left a few hours ago, and they won't be returning until this evening."

"Come get me as soon as they get here," I told her. "Lily won't be coming in today, so they are to report directly to me, got it?"

"Yes, sir." We arrived at the woman's holding cell, and I dismissed the guard.

"Hey," I said, looking at the woman through the bars. Her brown hair was pulled back into a tight braid, and she was wearing simple black pants and a black shirt. Her gray eyes stared at me as she remained silent.

Sighing, I pulled a chair up to the bars and sat down, making a point to meet her gaze. "I came to talk."

"I don't want to talk to you, Dragon Slayer scum," she spat.

"A few of your friends attacked one of my comrades last night," I explained, ignoring her insult. "Why?"

"He was a nuisance," she smirked. "And we knew his death would hurt you."

"Better luck next time," I snorted. "Lily's just fine. Can't say the same about the demons who went after him, though."

Her gray eyes widened in shock. Obviously, she had been expecting a different outcome. "Impossible."

"I'm sure he'll be here tomorrow to have a chat with you, so you can see for yourself then. Now, I want to know what the hell you guys are planning. If you're trying to kill me, why go after Lily?"

"The poison doesn't seem to work on you, since you filthy humans created an antidote," she frowned.

"You're half human," I reminded her.

"My wretch of a human mother abandoned me when I was a child, too ashamed to raise the offspring of a demon. Master Astaroth took me in and gave me to a demon family who followed him, and they raised me. You humans hunt us, but you don't see who the truly evil ones are. Look what you did to half-breeds for centuries. How many innocent lives were taken?"

"Not as many as demon have taken," I frowned. "That council is gone, anyways, and humans have become more accepting of half-breeds and demons alike."

"That doesn't change their past sins. Nor does changing the council erase yours. You are still responsible for Master Astaroth's death, so you must be punished."

"Try all you want, but I ain't goin' down so easily," I growled.

"Perhaps not now," she smirked. "Let's see how cocky you are when everything you love has been taken from you, Councilman Redfox."

"Don't threaten me," I snarled, standing up and gripping the bars tightly.

She laughed. "It wasn't you I was threatening. That is a beautiful little boy you have, councilman. It would be a shame is anything happened to him."

"I won't let you touch him."

A wicked smirk parted her lips. "Then why did you leave him so unprotected?"

Icy fear crept its way up my spine. "What are you—"

"I am locked in a cage," she sighed, "I can't do anything. My brothers and sisters on the outside are very free to move about as they wish, however."

Without a word, I marched to my office on the floor above the cells' chamber. I slammed the door behind me and grabbed the telephone, dialing the number to Makarov's office at Fairy Tail.

"Yes, hello?" He asked, picking up after only two rings.

"Where's Shrimp?" I asked, skipping over the introductions. He would know who it was.

"She's sitting in the infirmary with Lily and Darrick."

"And Silas?"

"Playing with Layla and Aiden," he answered. "Gajeel, what's going on?"

"I think there might be more of Astaroth's followers after Silas and Shrimp, so make sure they stay at Fairy Tail until I get back."

"Alright. I'll send a scouting party out, too."

"Thanks, gramps," I sighed, feeling a little less tense.

"I'm just protecting my own, so no need for thanks," he chuckled. "Hurry back, now. Head of the council or not, you still have a responsibility to those two."

"Right." I hung up the phone and returned to the cells, sitting in the unmoved chair.

"Who is leading your group?" I asked.

"Back so soon?"

"Answer me."

"I believe you already know, councilman."

"Org?"

She grinned. "Close."

"Michello?"

Her grin grew. "He isn't the Michello you remember, though, I'm afraid," she chuckled.

"What the hell does that mean?"

She shrugged. "Whatever you want it to, I suppose."

"Where is he?" I asked, refusing to play her damned games.

To that, she laughed. "Councilman, I'm not going to just tell you where Master Michello is. He'd kill me."

"I'll kill you if you don't tell me where he is," I growled.

She smiled, coming to stand directly in front of me on the other side of the bars. "You won't kill me. You're too soft."

"Try me."

"I can tell you," she continued, going back to her seat on top of the small cot she had been sleeping on, "that he is seeking revenge, and that he won't stop until he succeeds."

"If he wants revenge for me kicking him out of the council, why did he join a group of Astaroth's followers? He hates demons."

"He—"

"Councilman Redfox," the young secretary for my office, Opal, said, rushing into the room. She bowed, her face flushed from running. "I'm so sorry to interrupt, sir, but there is an urgent call for you from Fairy Tail."-

"We'll finish this later," I told the woman in the cell, following Opal to my office.

I rushed inside and picked up the phone, almost afraid to answer it. "What?" I asked.

"Gajeel," Master Makarov said, sounding grim, "you need to return to Magnolia."

"What happened?" I asked, feeling my heart fall into my stomach and a large lump form in my throat as I waited for his answer. When he finally did, I found myself running without even bothering to hang up the phone.

"It…it's Silas."