Disclaimer: The following is a literary work made for entertainment purposes. Neither the author nor the forums in which the following work appear make any profit off of the distribution of this work. Fairy Tail and its characters are the property of its creator Hiro Mashima. Support the original work.

***WARNING: This is an M rated story for graphic violence – strong language – and feels. Only for mature audiences!***

A/N: I wasn't planning on cutting this chapter here, but I couldn't resist. Too much fun. Instead of putting the full chapter out at the end of the week, I split it with two smaller chapters. The second part will be up by the end of the week.

For all those who complained about a cliffhanger - enjoy ;)

-James


Chapter 11: Price to Pay (Part 1)

"Get out."

"What's going on?" Natsu frowned heavily. The caravan stopping on a dime, the trucks emptying, it could only mean one thing. The soldier at the bumper grabbed Natsu by the arm, helping him jump down onto the street.

Overhead, he heard the air-ripping slaps of a helicopter. Though when he rounded the truck he faced the backs of over a hundred identically clad soldiers, he heard nothing else. As he walked, each step, the pounding of the chopper's blades faded under the clenching of his heart. It pounded unceasingly, unsettling his very bones, but he felt as if he were wading through thick, viscous water. Everything dulled while the soldiers parted.

It was then he saw his mentor. His captain. His love. He stood one man against an army, his rifle trained, finger on the trigger. Why? Why had he come? A commander ranked soldier barked something though the words faded between his ears.

All he saw was the raven haired captain calmly staring down the iron sights of his rifle, taking on a Spartan's demise.

"Salamander? How are you holding up?" He met his captain's clear, crystal blue eyes for just a second, but it split as a shard through his heart.

"Captain. You shouldn't have come. I'm sorry." Sorry. It was all he could say. Sorry for it all. Sorry for everything. Nothing could express the pain in his chest. Sorry.

"Save it." Gray said in his voice Natsu knew so well. He was swallowed in his demon soul. The calm genius upon a barren frozen world. He often felt as if ice was more than just a metaphor for what chilled his blood. The man was focused. Nothing - over a hundred guns trained on him - could chip away at the glacial soldier.

"Well, Fullbuster?"

Gray held up his palms slowly. He held out the side of the rifle, his frozen eyes falling to the ground. Dropping down to his knees, he placed the weapon on the cold asphalt. His fingers interlocked behind his head.

"Captain! No!" Natsu jerked, but strong hands held him in place. Blue demon eyes snapped to his.

"Trust me," he mouthed. His eyes were icy cold staring up at the Commander. "A deal is a deal."

"Secure him."

Two soldiers broke past their commander. The lead grabbed Gray by the shoulder, the other moved to secure his hands.

Suddenly, the soldier holding Gray collapsed. Blood fountained into the air from his knee cap. His eyes went instantly blank with the overwhelming shock of searing pain emptying his body. Natsu's eyes shot wide.

"Sniper!" The Fiori commander shouted. The crowd of soldiers tensed, but he barked, "hold!" The soldiers nervously scanned the rooftops. They were trapped, exposed, belly-up with an eagle waiting to swoop down from the heavens.

"The next is on you, commander. It is your decision. This soldier will live," Gray glanced to the young boy clutching his knee. Blood poured past his clenched fingers. It died the green camo fatigues. "The next won't."

"We could kill you here and now. You-"

"Commander," Gray smirked, his gaze burning with dangerous blue flames. "There's a red dot on your forehead."

The commander's jaw knotted. Natsu was frozen in place. The commander nearly growled, his fat lip curling and quivering. He was a boar. He was dangerous. Animals didn't mess with him. But he knew better than to take on a wolf.

For they hunt in packs. His black eyes darted up to the city skyline. And they slid back down to the blue eyed, sleek black furred wolf on his knees. He nearly froze under the feral beast's icy stare.

"You will let Natsu Dragneel go. And he and I will leave together. Once we are safe, that red dot will disappear."

Natsu swallowed, his emerald eyes switching from Gray to the commander and back again. This was crazy. This wasn't going to work. There was no way in hell. What the hell was Captain Fullbuster thinking?

The commander's harsh laugh cut with rocking disdain. "I've heard stories about you." He shook his head, his lip tugging as if tasting rotten fish on his plate. "I've heard a lot of stories. How intelligent. How godly. And now I'm left woefully disappointed, Captain. I thought you were better than this. Did you really think this would work? Like I would forsake my duty for my own life. How pathetic."

Gray stared at the military boar silently until his triumphant laughter ended. "I'd hoped to avoid it." His wolfly eyes glanced to the buildings around until they fell back on the commander. "I've placed about five hundred pounds of plastic around the supporting towers of this freeway. And around these buildings." His amplified voice was eaten up by the hungry news helicopter, lapping up the story with a glee. "My partner will trigger them if anything happens to me."

The boar's beady eyes narrowed. "You are a poor liar."

"Insurance, commander." The two stared at each other, a silent war of wills being waged in the air between. "How many deaths are going to be on the Fiori Army's hands today?"

"I don't believe you'd kill yourself."

Gray let out a soft laugh. "I died a long time ago, commander."

Tense seconds went by. An abyss felt to have opened up underneath them with a strong singularity pull. Natsu stared at that calm, in-control, face. Despite being on his knees, you would have thought he was a general talking down to a lowly enlisted kid. One thing about Gray, Natsu knew, was that you did not outplay his hand at the table. Bluff or not, he'd take the pot.

"It's your call commander, what's it going to be?"

"Blow it." Natsu blinked. The commander called Gray's hand?

Placing a hand on his quad, Gray ever so slowly rose to his feet, a fighter challenging on the mat. A smirk pulled at his lips. He pulled the rifle up with him, eyeing down the sights again.

"Well, traitor, where are the explosions you promised?"

His brow quirked. "I'm not prepared to sacrifice Fiori citizens for your games even if you are. Again." The last word dripped off his tongue. "But," Natsu squared his shoulders when the barrel of Gray's gun shifted to him. "Payment for your actions, Natsu."

Closing his eyes, Natsu's jaw clenched. He bowed his head, staring directly into the cold blue of Gray's eyes. Taking in a long breath, he steadied his legs, shifting his feet to square his chest with the muzzle of Gray's rifle.

The commander's barking laugh filled the air again. "You throw your life away just to be the one who puts a bullet in your fellow traitor? Fantastic." He sidestepped. "Boys, give him some room. Let him do what he came here for. And drop him once he does." The crowd parted, leaving Natsu alone to stare down death's door.

"Bye, Salamander," Gray whispered.

He squeezed the trigger.


Next Chapter: Price to Pay (Part 2)