YAY! I'm back - thank you all for the fun comments and likes and faves!

Lots of firsts for me over the weekend - 1st airplane ride (I know, right? First flight at - years old).

1st time staying on the 12th floor of a top-rated hotel - I was in the very beautiful City of Calgary!

I may and may not have had problems completing the 57th chapter of Angel of Oops because of the free very tall glasses of rum and coke...lol.

But I got a lot of things accomplished for my work...honest...seriously...definitely...

ANYWAY, this is a heavy chapter. I considered breaking it up a bit because it's also the longest chapter to date,

but it just doesn't have the emotional impact if I break it up too much.

MUAH! Enjoy - and break out your Kleenex boxes...you're gonna need them!

~Shana Hollows~


"You should have listened to our warnings," Gray bellowed at Samuel. His eyes glared out the anger he felt.

"I'm not afraid of you," Samuel spat back.

The two men circled each other, never breaking eye contact.

Gajeel looked up at Ezel, turning an arm into a sledge hammer, "Wanna let my little Shrimp off your back?"

Ezel gawked at Gajeel's transformation. Samuel wasn't kidding. They didn't know who they were dealing with...these people did indeed do things that couldn't be explained, but freak or not, the girl was important to his new enemy. Ezel grinned, turning to run into the storage shed. He rotated his back at the last second so he could crush Levy against the building wall. Levy transported off of his back, reappearing beside Gajeel. Ezel smashed into the building, causing it to collapse. Gray let out a roar of panic, abandoning his fight with Samuel to go get Juvia. Ezel got up from the collapsed building to go stand with his allies.

Lucy stood only a few metres away, wide-eyed as she watched the chaos…or more accurately, Natsu. Natsu was facing off with Dan. It was her worst fear...her nightmare had literally come to life.

Glancing as Levy screamed her name, she realized Jackal had pulled the trigger of his gun. Levy transported again, shielding Lucy from the bullet. The bullet deflected off her body, landing on the ground in tact.

Lucy was starting to panic, staring at the bullet. She didn't understand what was happening. Her friends were disappearing from some places, reappearing in others...and what was with Gajeel's arms? How did Levy not get shot just now?

The Angels lined up horizontally minus Gray, Lucy and Levy standing behind them. Dan and Samuel's group regrouped in front of them.

"What the…Levy? What…" Lucy stammered.

"I'm going to blow the bombs," Samuel yelled, "I'm warning you - stay out of our way or we'll take Magnolia down!"

He grabbed his remote control, still attached to his hand, going for the button.

Gray flitted inside what was left of the storehouse, grabbed Juvia, and transported her out of the vest. He grabbed the vest, then transported out into the water as far as he could.

Samuel pressed the button.

There were explosions in three different directions – one to the Northeast of the city, one to the West, and one about 500 yards past the dock inside the ocean. But Magnolia did not blow up. Dan and Samuel's group exchanged confused expressions.

"It's over," Jellal announced, joining them on the dock.

Erza put a hand on the shaking Lucy. She didn't understand any of what she'd just witnessed. Erza sent some presence through her.

"Like hell it's over!" Samuel spat.

"It doesn't have to end violently," Minerva said, joining the line of Angels, "You can ask for forgiveness and still use the rest of your lives to right your wrongs."

"WHO IN THE HELL ARE YOU PEOPLE?" Jackal yelled.

They all whipped out their guns, splaying the group of Angels with bullets. Levy stood in front of Lucy, shielding her from the onslaught. Each bullet that hit Levy's protective barrier fell harmlessly to the ground. The bullets seemed to pass harmlessly through the others' bodies. Dan's group's eyes widened, fear on their faces as they realized the opposing group still stood in front of them, completely unharmed.

"Repent of your sins," Jellal said again, "Decide that you're not going to hurt anyone anymore. The Magnolia police are about 2 blocks into town. Turn yourselves in. This needs to end peacefully."

Samuel reached into his pocket, pulling out more of Jackal's specialty grenades.

"Like hell it does!" he shouted. He released three grenades, one in each direction of the line of Angels. The force of the impact of the grenades collapsed parts of the dock, knocking all the Angels down to the ground.


"Kyoka! Start the plane!" Dan yelled as he, Samuel, Jackal and Ezel headed for the plane.

Kyoka was slightly shaken. The explosion in the water had rocked the tiny airplane already, and now there were more explosions coming from the dock. She already had the plane started and was waiting for her passengers.

Samuel opened the plane doors, allowing Jackal to get in before he went to shut the door.

Ezel grunted.

"You're too big!" Samuel yelled at him, going to close the door again.

Ezel backed up, dejected shock on his face. Samuel would abandon him? He shook of the initial shock. Of course Samuel would abandon him. Samuel was the boss's son. Ezel was hired muscle. He hurried in the other direction to see if there was a way to escape off the dock on land.

"Samuel! What about me?" Dan asked, panic in his face.

Samuel looked at him dead in the eye, smirking, "You're finally going to die."

"YOU BASTARD!" Dan yelled.

"Shut the hell up, Dan! I've been waiting for this moment for a looong time! At least go out with dignity, you snivelling rat!"

Samuel pulled out a gun, exiting the plane and pointing it at Dan's chest.

"Why do you hate me so much?" Dan asked, whimpering as Samuel cocked the gun.

"You don't know?" Samuel scoffed, "Your bitch mother, Kari...my 'father' loved her so much, he pretty much disowned my mother and I. He didn't even acknowledge I was his son until he was going to jail."

"Wait..." Dan said, "That means we're..."

"Yeah, Fucktard. That's what it means. We're brothers. Except he didn't acknowledge me. Not til he needed someone and you were too young at the time. He needed someone to run his empire. So suddenly, it was okay to acknowledge that he was my sperm donor."

Dan shook his head, not sure what to say.

"My mother died when I was ten...10! Because she got caught at the wrong place at the wrong time while YOUR mother played whore in his bed and was coddled with the good life. Know what he said to me when my mother died?"

Dan stared at him as Samuel pushed the gun point blank into his chest. Tears gathered at the edges of his eyes as he looked Dan dead on.

"He said, 'Get over it. You have deliveries to make. There's a couch in the clubhouse if ain't got a place to sleep no more.' And then he walked away. I have fended for myself since I was 10 years old! You grew up in luxury...protected...loved!" Samuel sniffed back his tears, "You ruined my life! Because if you and your mother weren't there, he would have accepted me!"

"I didn't know," Dan said slowly.

Samuel was breathing heavily, his anger making his face turn red.

"So why did you agree to help with tracking Lucy and Levy then? You willingly agreed to work with me," Dan challenged.

"Because I need his approval!" Samuel yelled back, "He was so bloody happy his missing son had been found when you reappeared on the scene 8 years ago with the offer to work together to get the gold bars! It made me sick. But he wanted it...his two sons, working side by side for a common goal. Haven't you been listening? I need him to accept me! If I get his empire back on track and get him out of jail, maybe THEN he'll love me! He arranged the partnership without consulting me, as per usual."

Dan nodded, "He told me this is how it was too. But he didn't know my mother was also involved. She was the one who encouraged me to take the chance...get to know Lucy. I actually love her, Samuel. Nobody counted on that happening. It's a bonus, really. We all get richer and I get the woman of my dreams."

Samuel rolled his eyes. Leave it to Dan to make it about him and his stupid 'feelings' for Lucy. He was missing the whole point. Dan was off yakking about yet another thing now.

Dan shook his head, "If you had just accepted me, maybe I would have loved you...as your brother. You think I had it so good, but I'm not that loved either. My mother came for me at the orphanage when I was 9. It took that long for Witness Protection to pull me out of foster care. She didn't want me. She wanted to teach me how to live like I had money so I could go to Jude Heartfilia one day as a suitor for his daughter...so she could get her hands on his money again and locate the gold bars. And here I am doing everything I can to get to Lucy so I can give her what she wants. Lucy will take her place as the Heartfilia heir and sign it all over to my mother...she'll be rich again. I'm no different than you, Samuel. I just want to be accepted too. Although I do have every intention of making Lucy mine...her body...her eyes...her hair...perfection."

"Your mother is dead," Samuel snapped, bringing him back to the present, "You kept saying your phone calls were to him."

"That was to throw you off," Dan retorted, "My mother went into Witness Protection. The beating was a story and so was 'he'. We didn't want you to put 2 + 2 together," Dan said firmly, " She faked her death under federal protection to get away from 'our' dad. Our lives weren't great either."

The two men locked eyes. Samuel looked down to the gun in his hand, his finger on the trigger. He lowered it, his mind reeling from the new revelations, "I don't like you," Samuel said, accentuating every word, "It doesn't change anything just because we're half-brothers. We'll help each other - You take the Heartfilia fortune and I'll take the gold bars. We stay in touch long enough to make sure that happens. Then I don't ever want to see you again."

Dan nodded, "Deal."

"Then I'll be back once my group can restructure. It's too hot here now. Cops are going to swarm this place soon," Samuel said.

"So I can come now?" Dan asked, moving for the plane.

"No."

Samuel got into the plane, slamming the door shut and it started moving across the water, leaving a dejected Dan on the docks.


The Angels were stirring. Nobody was hurt, but the dock was unstable. It had collapsed at parts. The entire structure was threatening to break down.

Lucy was still stunned, torn between being terrified, shocked, and freaking out. Her friends were all down. She couldn't even move, paralyzed by her myriad of emotions.

Dan was panicking, realizing that with Samuel's take off, he was still left with no mode of escape. His time was running out. And he was more determined than ever to get the keys for the gold room. Maybe if he handed them over to Samuel, he would want a brotherly relationship after all was said and done.

But first, he had to get off the docks. He pulled his gun from his waist and ran for Lucy, who was the only one standing on the dock at this point, still shell-shocked at the display her friends had just put on. Everyone had been blown back in the impact of the blasts, including Levy who had shielded Lucy from the impact again. They were starting to stir, slowly getting up and getting their bearings.

"We need to transport to the plane!" Jellal yelled. He, Minerva, Wendy and Erza disappeared, not even realizing Dan was headed straight for Lucy.

Lucy's eyes widened as Dan grabbed her around the waist, running for the shoreline. He was none too gentle with her. She screamed as he pretty much dragged her by her hair. He spotted Gajeel's car, throwing her into the passenger seat. He was thrilled to see the keys still in the ignition.

"SHUT UP, LULU!" he screeched when Lucy screamed to protest being thrown so roughly. He kept his gun to Lucy's side as he started the car and peeled off. He spotted a side road that he figured would have less police presence, barreling through the police barricade by smashing through their cars, then screeched off into the night.

Erik, Natsu, Levy and Gajeel took off after them, Natsu and Levy flitting into the shadows for faster travel. Erik and Gajeel were checking vehicles for unlocked doors. They finally found a Chevy Sprint that was unlocked. Gajeel barely fit inside, but they squealed after Dan anyway, again running through the barrier that the police had set up.

"Tell Sting we are in pursuit!" Macao yelled into the CB, "Two vehicles headed north on back roads, headed for the highway. One is a blue Dodge Charger, the other a red Chevy Sprint. Should be considered extremely armed and dangerous!"

Four police cruisers fell in behind the Chevy Sprint.


Gray barely had the energy to transport himself up onto the dock from the water below. He had managed to swim back from where he had transported the bomb to, but it had reverberated through his body. He was extremely injured. The salt water stung his wounds, causing even more pain. He collapsed on the dock, breathing hard for a few minutes. His left leg was bent in a very odd angle, which was strange because the bomb shouldn't have hurt him. He was bloody, with multiple abrasions all over his body. It had been a very long time since he felt pain. He forgot how excruciating it could be.

He couldn't explain why he was injured, but then he remembered when Erza had gotten injured, Jellal had explained it was because she had had intentions of hurting Dan and Samuel. He remembered when Erza had explained it to him. She had resolved to change her ways and remember that as an Angel, she shouldn't be wishing harm to anyone.

He grimaced, now knowing why he was in so much pain. He genuinely wanted to see Dan and Samuel go down, possibly die. So he'd done something drastic…something no Angel should even consider doing...

He could hear the airplane taking off into the air in the distance, despite the police warning them through a loud speaker to slow down and turn the airplane off or they would open fire. He struggled to catch his breath. They wouldn't get far, Gray knew.

Before he'd transported himself onto the dock to find Juvia, Gray had cut the gas lines to the plane.


"We're going to have such a good life, Lulu!" Dan was promising. He was doing twice the speed limit, racing to get out to the area where he was waiting, "I want babies. I want tons of babies. Can you see it, Lulu? We'll have 5, maybe 6! We're going to see him now, Lulu…we're going to see him and then we can start our lives together."

Inside, his mind was reeling with the new revelations of the day. I have a brother...

He resolved to get the keys and prove his loyalty to Samuel. It changed everything. He didn't want to just get the keys, use Lucy to claim the Heartfilia fortune, then never see Samuel again. He wanted his brother.

Lucy has silent tears pouring down her face. He kept his gun aimed at her as he drove, but it was unnecessary. She wasn't going to try to get away. She was in an absolute stupor after everything she'd witnessed in the past 15 minutes. Her friends had all shown strange abilities...things she couldn't explain. She'd known for awhile now that something was different about the people she spent all her time with. She knew Levy was a Guardian of some sort. She knew she'd seen Natsu disappear from her room with no explanation. And there was no accounting for what had just happened at the docks. And yet, with all their unexplained special abilities, all was still lost. They'd survived the hail of bullets, but they wouldn't have escaped the grenades. Grenades would have killed all of her friends. Even Levy. Even her Natsu.

Rage suddenly enveloped her body. She didn't care if her friends were different. They were the only beings on Earthland that cared about her. She attacked Dan, knocking the gun out of his hand into the back seat.

"YOU KILLED NATSU!" she screamed, ramming her fists into his arms and face.

Dan struggled to maintain control of the vehicle, veering into the clearing that they had somehow managed to reach. The car smashed into a tree, throwing them both into the dashboard.

Lucy groaned. She could feel a wound on her head seeping blood down onto her lap. Dan was motionless beside her as she struggled to open the car door, collapsing to the ground in pain.

"Hello Lucy," a new voice said.

She heard a gun cock and rolled over to face the new threat. It wasn't a man's voice like she expected…it was a woman with dark red hair. She wore a black trench coat that reached to her knees.

Lucy's eyes widened as she recognized the woman. Memories began flooding back to her.

Kari.


The airplane taxied through the water, gaining speed for takeoff. Jellal, Erza, Wendy, and Minerva sat in the plane, unbeknownst to Kyoka, Dan, and Jackal.

The police boats were closing in, trying to block off their escape route.

"Do it now!" Samuel yelled at Kyoka, "Get us in the air!"

"They're going to shoot us down!" Kyoka yelled back.

"They're bluffing!" Samuel screamed, "GET THIS PLANE IN THE AIR!"

Kyoka pulled the throttle, elevating the small plane into the air, sailing overtop of the police boats. Shots were fired, but she figured they'd completely missed…until she looked at the fuel gauge.

"Okay - take us to the nearest port. We need to get back to Magnolia," Samuel ordered.

"We're losing fuel," she said, her face turning white.

"How can we be losing fuel?" Samuel demanded, rushing up to the co-pilot's seat, "Didn't you check to make sure we got a plane with a full tank?"

"I…I did!" Kyoka stuttered. She checked the reserve tank. It was also empty, "I don't understand. The cops must have shot the fuel tank!"

"Impossible!" Jackal yelled over the plane engine, "The plane would have blown up, wouldn't it have?"

"You can still land this plane safely," Jellal said, becoming solid. Erza, Minerva and Wendy followed suit.

Samuel, Jackal and Kyoka all paled.

"How…how did you get on the plane?" Jackal asked slowly, "You really are ghosts."

"We're not ghosts," Minerva corrected, "We're Angels. We've been sent to stop your rampages. You've hurt a lot of people."

Samuel reached into his pocket, Erza stilling his hand.

"Grenades won't ultimately hurt us," she told him, "The force of the air will knock us down, and it might even stun us for a few minutes, but you won't accomplish anything ultimately with those. Plus, if you blow the airplane up, you're going to blow with it."

His hand relaxed, knowing for some reason that she told the truth.

"What do you want?" Samuel asked. His hands shook.

"To give you a chance to right your wrongs," Jellal said, "You are on a path to unredeemable destruction. There's still time to correct your wrongdoings, however. Turn the plane around and land. Surrender to the police officers."

The plane was dead silent as Kyoka, Jackal and Samuel contemplated Jellal's words.

"There is no escape," Erza said, "The plane is losing fuel. Your choices are to surrender or die. If you choose to die, we hope you'll also choose remorse for all the damage you've done in the past. Any way you look at it, it's over."

Kyoka veered the plane around, heading back for the docks.

"What in the hell are you doing?" Samuel yelled.

"We're not getting out of this...not this time," Kyoka said, tears running down her face.

"Turn the plane around!" Samuel ordered.

"And do what? We won't get 10 kilometres away with what fuel we have!" she screamed.

"I'd rather die than spend my life in jail," Jackal scrambled to the front of the cab, knocking Kyoka in the face. He unbelted her, throwing her into the back of the plane as he fought to gain control of the aircraft again. She didn't fight back. Tears continued to stream down her face.

"Find a place to land. Any place will do," Samuel instructed, "We'll find a way to escape from wherever we can touch down."

Jackal nodded. He didn't have a lot of aviation experience. He was sweating.

"You're going to kill us!" Kyoka realized as he veered the plane, barely missing a cliff jutting out over the ocean.

"Kyoka," Wendy said softly, reaching out her hand. Kyoka took it, tears running down her face.

"Last chance," Jellal leaned forward, speaking into Jackal's ear, "It's imminent now. You're going to die if you don't accept blame. Will you choose to repent?"

Jackal and Samuel exchanged glances, screaming out as the airplane actually hit the cliff this time and spiraled out of control, smashing into the ocean.


Gray had pulled Juvia's body somehow from the remnants of the collapsed storage house. He was in incredible pain, barely able to move his own body, let alone drag hers. He smoothed a hand down her face, cradling her chin.

"Juves," he said softly, "Wake up."

She had new injuries from the collapse of the storage house. Blood flowed from her arm and her torso. She coughed slightly, prompting Gray to lift her head to make breathing easier.

She opened her eyes, glancing up at him.

"Gray?"

He nodded, kissing her forehead.

"I'm not dead?"

"No Juves," he said.

"How…how are you here?" she stuttered.

"I'm an Angel," he replied, tears gathering in his eyes. They streamed down his face as he cradled her.

"An Angel," she repeated. She sounded as though she was in a daze. Her thoughts weren't coming to her easily, "I think I knew on some level, Gray."

Her head hurt. In fact, her entire body hurt. She had never experienced such awful pain. She was trying to comprehend whether Gray was in her imagination or whether he was actually there with her, but her mind was foggy and having trouble registering much.

"Am I dying?" she asked, "Have you come to take me Home?"

He shook his head, unable to answer her.

"Lucy…Levy…the other girls," she was mumbling, her words barely intelligible.

"Lisanna and Virgo are okay," he promised, "Laki too. Natsu, Gajeel and Levy are going after Lucy."

"Gray…I didn't think I'd ever have a chance to tell you…" Juvia's voice trailed off.

"Tell me later, Juvia. We have to get you some help."

Gray was scooping her up in his arms, trying to pick her up. His leg let out a jolt of horrendous pain. He couldn't do it. He couldn't lift her.

"No!" Juvia said sharply, "Please Gray! I need...to tell you this...because I have a chance to now. I don't know if you're real or not…please Gray."

He stilled, stroking her hair, "I'm real, Juves. I'm listening."

She strained to open her eyes, tears seeping through the corners of her swollen face, "I'm sorry, Gray...There's no...excuse. What I did...was wrong. I'm so sorry, Gray. I love you so much. It could only ever...have been you. And I'm so sorry."

Juvia was exhausted from her spiel, groaning in pain. Her breathing was laboured as she fought to stay conscious.

Gray's own tears were blurring his vision. He kissed her forehead, "Juves, I forgave you a long time ago. I released you so that you could date Lyon."

"That was real?" she said in awe, "I thought it was a dream."

"I've been around you for awhile, Juves. And I'm not blameless either. I need you to forgive me too."

"I didn't love him," Juvia said softly. Her voice was edged with pain and she struggled to release every word. Her breathing was slow and laboured, "I think...the only reason I ...gave him a chance…was because I was hoping...he could fill the void...that you left...in my heart. I never...got over you, Gray. I will never...be over you."

Her eyes closed again and she went still.

"Juvia," Gray whispered. He pulled her head onto his lap, his misshapen leg jutted out to the side. He kissed her lips upside-down, "C'mon Juves. Wake up. Stay with me!"

Juvia didn't move.

He shook her body, tears flooding out of his eyes. He started yelling at her, "JUVIA! Answer me! You have to wake up! I'm going to get you some help! STAY WITH ME, JUVIA! LISTEN TO MY VOICE!"

His body convulsed with sobs as he tried to lower her head gently to the deck of the dock, feeling for a pulse.

"HELP ME!" he screamed through his tears, "SOMEBODY HELP ME!"

"Well, what do we have here?" a new voice cut in.

Gray's eyes widened, realizing the hulk-ish Ezel was looming overtop of them. He knew he couldn't carry Juvia with his leg the way it was. He also knew he couldn't get up on his own, even if he tried. He covered her with his body as Ezel raised his arms to throw his first attack. Gray tensed, waiting for the blow.

It never came.

He opened his eyes and went into complete shock as he realized Jellal had blocked the attack. His arms were lit up with a bright light-like luminescence. He pushed Ezel backward, making him fall on his rear. Erza, Jellal, Minerva and Wendy surrounded him.

"It's over," Jellal told him, "Samuel, Kyoka and Jackal have turned themselves in to the police. There is nothing left to fight for. Give yourself up."

Ezel shook his head, "Samuel would never do that! He would never give up on his father's dream! Never!"

"He didn't have a choice, Ezel," Wendy said softly, "Their time was up. The plane crashed and they had a split second choice to make…repent of their wrongdoings, or die accountable for every misdeed, every murder. At the last minute, they decided."

"He gave up?" Ezel asked.

Minerva nodded, "And Jackal and Kyoka too. We got them off the plane before it crashed. They're all in police custody now."

Ezel fell to his knees. He didn't understand.

"It's not possible!" he thundered, "How do you 'save' people from a crashing plane?"

"We're Angels," Erza told him, putting a hand on his shoulder, "And it was only because Samuel and Jackal and Kyoka accepted that their lives needed to change that we were able to save them. What will you choose, Ezel?"

Ezel dropped his head to his chest, accepting defeat.

Jellal raised his arm and shot off a light flare. It was a trick unique to Jellal's abilities. It would indicate to Sting and Rogue that it was safe to approach the docks now. There was no hesitation. Swarms of police men raided the docks. They cuffed the large man, escorting him off the dock.

The clouds overhead burst, sending rain down to the docks. One by one, Minerva, Erza, Jellal and Wendy surrounded Gray. Wendy bent down by Juvia, also feeling for a pulse.

Gray refused to leave Juvia's side. She wasn't moving. Ambulance crews raced onto the docks, heading for her. He clutched her hands, kissing her forehead over and over again. Tears ran down his face in actual streams, pooling on the dock floor in small puddles with the rain.

"Gray," Wendy whispered, "You have to let her go."

His body convulsed with sobs and he held her hands, shaking his head in denial. He was tired of 'letting her go'. Juvia needed him...and he needed Juvia. Why couldn't the universe just let them be together and not in either physical or emotional pain?

Erza bent down beside him, taking him into her arms as he wept. He wouldn't let Juvia's hands go. He couldn't.

"It's okay, Gray," Erza said softly, "We're all here with you. You aren't facing this alone. Let go."

She gently pried Gray's hands from Juvia's, pulling him back beside her.

Jellal sent out a wave of presence for him, the other Angels each following suit. They all had tears in their eyes as they shared his pain.

As ambulance crews took Juvia off the dock in a stretcher, Gray threw his head back and let out a feral scream.


Sting was busily barking orders. There were police and ambulance vehicles everywhere as they tried to piece together what had happened that night. Rogue had gone to the hospital with Laki after she refused an ambulance, but only after taking her to the police station first so she could be reunited with the other captives.

The entire group bawled together, the 8-Island crew all huddling in with the three girls. They were all safe. Except for Juvia. Nobody knew of her fate.

"We've got Juvia on the dock!" Jet yelled to Sting, hurrying after the crews running for her.

Sting passed his clipboard to Gildarts, running toward the docks. He needed to see Juvia for himself. He was aware that the bombs had all been detonated and were no longer a threat. He'd had to send crews out in two directions to take care of the ensuing fire. The third bomb had gone off in the water, seemingly harmlessly, but with the final battle on the docks, there was no telling how Juvia had fared.

The ambulance crew was rushing to get Juvia off the docks and into the ambulance. They were working on her as they ran. He stood back, allowing them to pass him.

He glanced toward the dock. A second ambulance crew followed close behind him as he rushed for the end of the dock. They were there for someone else with injuries. Severe trauma to the leg.

But the end of the dock was completely empty. Sting stared in absolute confusion. They had said they would resolve this with as little death as possible. None of the people in the airplane crash were even injured when they turned themselves over to police boats, or so he'd been told. They swam to the police boats to turn themselves in. All the police out in the water had watched the plane crash. Not one of them could explain how there could be survivors.

How? How does one survive a plane crashing into the ocean with no injuries?

Unable to find a plausible explanation, Sting looked up to the sky.

"Thank you," he whispered.

His radio went off again.

"Sting, it's Jet! We've got a Chevy Sprint pulled over just before the highway! It's Gajeel! He says he's going after Lucy and needs as much backup as we can provide!"

Sting heaved out a sigh. It wasn't over yet. He would have to mull over the oddities of the night another time. Glancing back at the empty dock one more time, he started running, barking orders into the radio as he went.