Chapter Fifty-Seven: Report

(April 14th, 2018, Saturday Morning)

Usually Freed hid his emotions well. Laxus did too, their oldest friend Evergreen often teasing them about how similar yet different they were.

However, today he was struggling to keep himself composed, the 'what if' questions piling up. His brow twitched when he heard a request from two survivors, and as much as he wanted to appear neutral, he couldn't stop the dark glare from showing when he turned around to address Natsu and Gray.

He never had an issue with them before aside from them being noisy or Gray's odd stripping habit, but today he had to dig his nails into his palm to keep himself from lashing out.

Why weren't they picked instead of Laxus? They were two healthy young men, capable of doing the same job. Why was Laxus chosen?

"How long do you plan on keeping it?" Freed asked, barely holding himself together. He didn't want to be angry. He didn't want to let it bother him, but it did.

"Just for a few hours," Natsu said, not meeting his gaze.

Gray looked just as uncomfortable, fingers absentmindedly grabbing at the hem of his shirt, probably fighting the urge to undress.

'Hmm, it appears I'm not hiding my displeasure very well.'

Freed took a deep breath before gesturing towards the flatbed cart, turning away as he said, "Return it just how you found it. You get two hours."

"Thank you!" they yelled in unison, making Freed's eye twitch.

He waited, listening as their footsteps and the squeaky cart left receiving. Freed passed by Levy, mumbling, "You're in charge while I'm gone," before exiting the school through a side door.

He needed fresh air to help calm his mind, but it was no use. No matter what he did, he couldn't stop thinking about what Laxus did, knowing there was a confirmed pregnancy and the father was his husband.

However, despite his burning anger, he wasn't mad at Laxus. He especially wasn't upset at Millianna. Freed was pissed at the situation, and the doctors who extorted Laxus' semen for medical care.

How callous could those people be? They saw a dying girl and thought, what can we get out of this?

Fairy Tail didn't have much, but they would do what they could to help a survivor in need, but Hargeon seemed to value resources over living, breathing people. If they could get something out of a deal, they would.

Freed leaned against the side of the school, head tipped back to see the cloudy day. It had no calming effect on him, Freed's heart beating faster as anxiety built in his chest. They had wanted a child of their own for so long, even talking with adoption agencies to get familiar with the process before they were ready.

The plan was to wait until they were thirty before trying to adopt, but he knew they weren't special. Everyone had plans ruined by the outbreak.

Now everyone's main goal was the same. Simple, yet sometimes difficult.

Survive.

Somedays the future seemed bleak, but then a survivor would come up with a way to improve things, thus boosting morale for a moment.

It was a challenge for Freed to stay motivated while Laxus was away for those first weeks, but then he changed his attitude and strived for a better Fairy Tail, giving Makarov more feedback when they had their weekly reports to improve the base.

Their home.

When Laxus and the others came back, Freed had been filled with so much relief he almost cried, but the moment of happiness was marred after Laxus told him what happened.

What he had to sacrifice.

Freed wouldn't blame Laxus or Millianna or any of the other survivors for what happened while away, knowing they made the best decisions they could for each situation that presented itself to them.

But, that didn't mean Freed had to be happy about it. He was human, after all.

Freed shut his eyes as he took a long breath in, knowing it would take time before he came around to accepting what happened.

Then again, he seemed to have a lot of time on his hands nowadays.


"This couldn't wait until later?" Gray grumbled, huffing as he readjusted his grip for what felt like the hundredth time.

"What're you complaining about?" Natsu asked, sweat dripping down his face as he cast Gray an annoyed look over his shoulder. "You got the easy job!"

Before Gray could retort, Natsu added, "And no one told ya to get a bed frame too! A mattress is more than enough!"

Gray's mouth closed, grumbling as he made sure the two mattresses and various pieces to a bedframe didn't fall. Natsu was correct, he had the harder job, pulling the flatbed cart while Gray managed from behind, merely holding the items in place.

However, that didn't mean they had to do it that freaking early in the morning! He had been looking forward to taking a nap after breakfast, but nooooo. Natsu dragged him off base, the two barely remembering to check out their weapons before venturing into some nearby neighborhoods that hadn't been completely scavenged.

There were extra mattresses on base, but they were reserved for new survivors, like Loke and the others. Single people and children were giving twin sized beds while couples were given bigger ones.

However, there was no rule saying they couldn't go out during their free time to collect bigger beds, both Natsu and Gray choosing to spend their time doing precisely that.

It wasn't exactly necessary, but if he was going to help Natsu anyway, might as well get something for himself too. Before the outbreak he was sporting a full size bed himself, and for the longest time he missed that size, but after sleeping in a van, on sleeping bags, and on blankets for the past two months, a twin size bed was heaven.

Gray slept so hard last night he woke up finding drool on his pillow. He couldn't help it, finally feeling safe again. Hargeon had been relatively safe, but they had been in foreign territory with a new set of rules and leaders.

Fairy Tail had its own set of flaws, but it was home.

He was glad to be back.

But he had a few things he wanted to discuss with Makarov, eager to improve their base.

"Finally," Natsu muttered as the gates of Fairy Tail came into view. They had been reinforced since they left, parts of it covered with planks of wood or metal scraps while other parts had bricks protecting the chain links. It was an improvement, but it was nothing compared to the fortress Hargeon had made itself into.

Of course, it had been a military base prior, giving them an advantage. Still, even the parts that were just chain links before were fortified at Hargeon, making it nearly impossible for a zombie to enter.

Securing the gate was another thing Gray wanted to talk to Makarov about.

Gray eyed the beautiful dark wood of the bed frame he had picked out. Judging by the pictures on the wall, it had belonged to a young married couple. Gray didn't bother thinking it was weird he would be using their bed, seeing as it had been well over nine months since anyone had been on it.

He frowned, asking himself, 'Has it really been that long?'

The outbreak started on July seventh of the previous year. He didn't know how he felt about that information. Gray had long given up hope that help was coming, accepting what he saw was the best it was going to get, but then they found Hargeon.

While he liked the place, he didn't see himself calling it home anytime soon. His friends and family were at Fairy Tail, and he couldn't see himself leaving them, even if it meant having a slightly better life.

They had more resources in Hargeon, better health care and security. The list of things Gray wanted to talk to Makarov about had increased every day he was in Hargeon, and in about an hour he could begin to address them.

Everyone who went on the mission to Hargeon would be speaking with Makarov, Mavis, and Grandeeney. It was their way of reporting what they saw and heard, as well as get filled in on anything they needed to know while they were away.

Gildarts and the others who were from Hargeon would not be in attendance, Makarov already talking to them yesterday evening when they arrived.

"Sure you don't want a frame too?" Gray asked as they approached the gate, a guard already opening it for them.

"I'm sure," Natsu said, chuckling from ahead. "Happy used to hide under my bed back home, so I don't want him getting that chance again."

"Can you blame him?" Gray snorted, amused by Natsu's growl. "He prolly doesn't wanna sleep near ya!"

"Oi!"

Gray laughed, ignoring Natsu's grumbling as they entered the base. A guard escorted them towards the arena, looking less than thrilled with their slow pace as Natsu continued pulling the cart. Gray thought about switching, but then he remembered Natsu practically dragging him away from breakfast so they could get started on their task.

He barely allowed Gray enough time to put away his dishes and get changed out of his pajamas.

Natsu could handle the strain.

Processing didn't take long, and before Gray knew it, they were hauling the mattresses into the school. They had to unload so they could fit through the doors, but once they were situated, they made their way down the halls, making idle chitchat.

They parked the cart near a stairwell, picking the one closest to Gray's room before getting started on bringing it up to the second floor.

"You really needed a bed frame, huh?" Natsu asked, grunting as he struggled to carry various pieces while Gray walked behind him, doing the same.

He would shrug, but he didn't want to drop anything. "Stop complaining Lava Breath. It's not even that heavy."

Natsu huffed, clearly frustrated but Gray could tell he wasn't upset. After years of friendship and countless arguments, he could hear the difference between fake and real anger, and Natsu was merely toying with him.

It was welcomed, Gray feeling more at home as they entered his room. "I can set this up later," Gray said, stacking his pieces in the corner of the room before grabbing his old bed to rest against the wall, out of the way.

He looked over it, wondering how he was going to get rid of it. He wasn't sure whether Makarov wanted him to toss it or return it to where they stored beds.

"Nah, let's get it over with," Natsu said, already moving the headboard towards the wall before finding the rails. "Go grab the rest."

Gray nodded, deciding not to argue with him. He could use the help. "Alright."

Twenty minutes later, the two had put the bed frame together, Natsu giving a victorious grin before they went to grab the mattress. They worked as a team to bring it to the second floor, bickering a few times when they had to turn a corner.

Bringing up Natsu's mattress should have been the easiest part, but after everything that morning, they were both low on energy. Gray almost chuckled when they were left panting, resting his forehead against the bed as Natsu fished for his keys.

"I'm glad Makarov didn't make us work today," he confessed, snorting as he added, "I'm already beat."

Natsu nodded, wiping the sweat from his brow as he unlocked the door. "Me too. I exercised some, but I think being at Hargeon made me a little soft."

"With your hard head? Not possible."

Natsu showed how tired he was, not bothering to fire off a retort, instead settling for rolling his eyes before pushing the door open. Gray said nothing as he gripped the mattress, wishing Natsu had picked one with handles on the sides like his bed had.

Just like Gray, Natsu hadn't removed his old mattress yet. He hurriedly went to strip the bedding before throwing it on Lucy's bed, but he wasn't quick enough. Gray raised a brow, wondering why Natsu's bed had two pillows resting on it while Lucy's had none.

'Strange.'

He didn't comment, deciding it wasn't something he wanted to tease Natsu about, considering there were so many other things that came to mind when wanting to aggravate his best friend.

Though, despite not saying anything, Gray's curiosity got the better of him, speculating as he helped Natsu move the mattress into place. He had wondered a time or two if something was going on behind closed doors with Natsu and Lucy, but he always dismissed the idea.

Natsu was dense when it came to those things. He hadn't seemed interested in casual encounters before the outbreak, and he hadn't shown any signs of that changing after the world went to shit.

But, then again, things changed. Gray knew he was bending some of his own morals. His eye twitched as he recalled his last day in Hargeon, watching as a prisoner had been given food only after he consumed a certain diet pill.

His gut twisted with confliction, but he pushed it aside. Those prisoners had committed heinous crimes that already had them locked up for the rest of their lives. Didn't it make sense to use those lives for the better good? To discover the extent of the virus they all feared to better understand how it spread and interacted with living creatures?

Like, for instance, he no longer feared the virus transmitting from fleas, ticks, or mosquitos. Experiments on the prisoners had proven the transferred infection between insects and other parasites was too little to cause infection.

They were currently testing five experiments when they left Hargeon, one of them trying to introduce small amounts of the virus every day to see if an immunity could be built. The first few attempts had been proven disastrous, but that was the problem with experimenting.

There would be trials and errors.

They adjusted and tried again, hoping for better results the next round.

"I'm hungry," Natsu grumbled after draping his blanket over the bed, Gray noting Natsu hesitating before grabbing a single pillow off Lucy's bed before dropping it on his mattress.

"You're always hungry," Gray said, wondering if Natsu and Lucy were sharing a bed. Why else would both pillows be on one mattress when they arrived?

'Is he embarrassed?' Gray found a smile as Natsu sat on his bed, calling over Happy to test it out. 'Probably.' There was no reason to be. Gray wasn't one to judge when it came to sex. Sex could easily be meaningless physical pleasure two adults did for fun and stress relief.

It was probably better for Natsu to relieve his pent up stress through sex than fights with others.

Plus, Lucy was cute. She wasn't exactly Gray's type, what with her being a bit too timid and frail. He wanted someone who didn't look like they would break if he touched them.

Kagura had been fun for the most part, but as soon as their time together ended, he was left feeling hollow again, the reality of their world slamming into him once more. Sex wasn't the answer to his problems, but since Gray wasn't the type to talk it out, sex had been the best solution he had at the time. It was a distraction, nothing more, nothing less.

Natsu hadn't judged him for his activities even after walking in on them, so, if Natsu and Lucy had their own fun, it wasn't his business.

"Hope he's protecting himself," Gray muttered, shivering at the thought of a miniature Natsu running around.

"What?" Natsu asked, sitting up from his bed. Happy didn't seem to care for the new mattress, sharp claws scratching at the corner before Natsu waved him away.

"Nothing," Gray laughed, nodding towards the door. "Let's return this cart before Freed yells at us."

Natsu nodded, probably noticing the same thing Gray had earlier. "Yeah. Don't wanna piss him off more."

Gray hadn't asked, but he suspected Freed wasn't exactly happy about how Millianna got her treatment. Since Gray didn't have any experience in either side, he wasn't sure how he would react either.

The two walked back towards the stairs, Natsu saying he would look for some better sheets to suit his tastes next time he was a runner. Gray nodded, grinning as he said, "Maybe we should go after we report?"

As a clearer, Gray didn't have time to browse around homes for the perfect decor, so it would be better if he went on his downtime.

"Yeah, we can do that." Natsu took the last step off the stairs, landing him on the first floor. "Maybe we should try— Yo! Lucy!"

Gray jerked in surprise from the outburst before his eyes flitted to where Natsu was looking. He caught sight of Lucy as she turned down a hall. She stilled, peeking her head around the corner before taking a step back. "O-oh, hey? I uh, thought you'd be resting?"

Gray almost laughed at the dopey grin on Natsu's face. He looked genuinely happy to see her. It made sense to Gray, seeing as Natsu had mentioned Lucy a few too many times while away in casual conversation.

"I went to get the bigger bed. Me and Gray—" Natsu's voice cut out when someone else appeared from around the corner.

A dark brow raised when Gray noticed a man with brown hair glancing back to see who had called Lucy. It took a moment in the dim light for Gray to recognize the man as Hibiki, a runner if he wasn't mistaken.

Hibiki had gotten in trouble for hooking up on the job back when he worked in receiving. He also had a deep admiration for Ichiya, someone Gray thought wasn't worth praise.

Aside from that, he didn't know much about Hibiki, but honestly he didn't care to learn.

Gray didn't think much of it at first, but he realized Natsu had a good point when he asked, "What're you doing? Shouldn't you be at work?"

"Oh, umm..."

Gray saw Lucy fidgeting, her eyes dancing around the hall before landing on Natsu. He also noticed his friend's posture had changed, going from relaxed to tense, as if holding his breath for an answer.

'Huh,' Gray thought, noting Natsu's face had changed as well. He didn't look giddy to see Lucy, his jaw tense and brows knitted in confusion.

"I'm heading outside," she said, a forced smile appearing on her face.

A few questions rose to Gray's mind, but he dismissed them in favor of grabbing the cart, determined to return it before Freed could scold them. He was a reasonable man most of the time, but he was a stickler for the rules and regulations.

Freed was actually the reason Gray started wearing a lock on his belt, stating Gray's quirk was 'unbecoming'. Or had he said it was 'indecent'? He couldn't remember, that conversation happening over half a year ago.

"Is..."

Gray glanced over his shoulder when he saw Natsu at a loss for words. He furrowed his brows before pulling the cart along. "Come on," Gray said, nodding towards the mouth of the hall where Lucy and Hibiki stood. "We can talk on the way."

"Sure," Natsu muttered, once again confusing Gray.

Why did he look like someone had put out his fire? They had been chatting like nothing was wrong, then suddenly Natsu looked... distraught? Was that the right word to describe Natsu's demeanor?

He certainly didn't look pleased.

Gray saw Natsu walking beside him in his peripheral vision, meeting up with Lucy and Hibiki before they all started down the main hall. They passed the office before Natsu finally spoke again, sounding uncertain as he broke the awkward silence. "Whatcha doing today? Mowing? Digging?"

Gray didn't miss the way Hibiki looked at Lucy with a raised brow, the woman stalling before giving Natsu a shrug. "Just... same old stuff I usually do on a Saturday..."

Well, that answer was vague.

Gray watched with mild curiosity, seeing Natsu's brows pinch together as he kept looking over at Hibiki, who had changed his gaze to in front of them. 'Very strange,' Gray thought, wondering if maybe he had been incorrect before.

Maybe Lucy and Natsu weren't hooking up, instead Lucy spending time with another person. That still didn't explain the pillows, but what did he know? Maybe Lucy was really as weird as Natsu had said and preferred not to sleep with any support on her head? Maybe Natsu's thick skull needed two pillows instead of one?

"What's he doing?" Natsu asked, a small smile spreading over Gray's face when Lucy and Hibiki jolted, as if caught doing something wrong.

He knew it wasn't good to meddle in other people's business, but man, was it entertaining to watch. He couldn't help but speculate, wondering if Natsu was just worried Hibiki and Lucy were up to something. That made the most sense to Gray.

Natsu didn't seem interested in sex, but he had talked Gray's ear off a few times about Lucy. He wouldn't put it past Natsu to be a bit overprotective, especially since the girl was so shy.

'That's nice of him,' Gray thought, intrigued as Lucy answered after a long moment.

"He was going outside too," Lucy said slowly, as if placing each word with care. If Gray didn't know any better, he would say she was being cautious, not wanting to trip herself up with her words.

Gray glanced at the two books in Hibiki's hands, wondering if he was going to read outside. If so, why did he need two? 'Unless he's meeting up with someone? Can't be Lucy, 'cause she's working.'

Gray's eyes flitted to Lucy, seeing her in that oversized sweater she wore at breakfast, along with some jeans and boots that looked new. It didn't seem like work-appropriate clothes, but what did he know about her job? Maybe Lucy was doing something easy for maintenance today.

"Oh." It was all Natsu said, a strange expression morphing his face before he opened his mouth, but before he could add anything, Gray stepped in. He didn't want to get stuck facing Freed by himself.

"Dude, we gotta go return this," Gray said, stopping when they reached the entrance part of the school. In front of them was a hall that led to the band room, outside, or down the sports hall, to the left of them was where the cafeterias, commissary, and receiving were located.

Natsu looked apprehensive, reluctantly stopping a few steps past the hall. Lucy stopped too, though instead of meeting Natsu's gaze, she seemed to have her eyes on the ground. Hibiki didn't bother stopping, just slowing his pace.

"You coming Lucy?" Hibiki called, Gray noting Natsu's fist clenching once before loosening.

"Y-yeah." Lucy glanced up at Natsu, giving him a small wave before saying, "I'll uh... see you later?"

If Gray had to guess, he would say Natsu was torn. His hand twitched when Lucy turned away, but he didn't follow. Gray blinked twice, watching Lucy catch up to Hibiki before the two exited the school.

Something sounding like a growl came from Natsu when Gray could no longer see the two outside. He pulled the cart, the sound alerting Natsu.

Gray flicked on his headlamp as they entered the darkest hall of the school. "Well that was awkward," Gray said, hearing Natsu follow after a few steps.

"What was?" Natsu asked, his voice distant.

Gray threw him a glance over his shoulder. "That whole thing?" He turned ahead, letting out a sigh. "Sounded like Lucy didn't want ya knowing what she was up to."

Which stuck Gray as odd, seeing as she was at work. He remembered Lucy and Natsu used to have Wednesdays off. 'She doesn't do anything top secret in maintenance, so why—'

"You think?" Natsu asked, something in his tone causing Gray to stop.

He looked back at his friend, his shoulders slumping when he saw something in Natsu's eyes he hadn't seen in a while. It was an emotion he only saw when he spoke of finding Igneel.

Desperation.

"Are you okay?" Gray asked, frowning when Natsu looked down. He enjoyed teasing his friend, but he got no enjoyment out of seeing Natsu genuinely upset. "I was just joking."

'Mostly,' he added in his head, finding Lucy's behavior peculiar. He didn't know her as well as Natsu did, but from the times they all hung out, she had seemed to gravitate towards Natsu, more open towards him than others.

It really seemed like she was avoiding a direct answer to his questions, but Gray knew better than to continue instigating. There was a time and place, and the situation seemed too serious all of a sudden for jokes.

"It's... nothing," Natsu said, though he shook his head, leading Gray to believe he was unsure.

"I'm uh, here if you wanna talk?" Gray offered, seeing Natsu wave him off.

"It's fine. I'm just..." He looked up, eyes squinting a little at the light. "Lucy's been... acting weird."

Gray raised a brow. "But... You said she's always weird?"

Natsu frowned, hesitating before saying, "She is... I just wasn't... expecting..."

He waited for Natsu to finish, but when he dropped his gaze, Gray sighed. "Let's go return this cart. It won't be long until we gotta report."

Natsu paused before nodding, looking back down the hall one last time before dropping his shoulders. "Yeah, you're right."

Gray took no pleasure in hearing those words, merely nodding as they walked towards receiving, the mood dampened after the odd exchange.


Laxus glared at the carpet as he tried avoiding his thoughts, focusing on the swirls of blue, green, and maroon. The word hideous came to mind every time he saw the flooring in the office, which had been a lot when he attended high school so many years ago.

He had gotten in a few disagreements with his fellow classmates, but what could Laxus do?

Let people pick on him?

He tried keeping a level head, but sometimes people needed to be put in their place when they decided to throw jokes and insults his way.

Luckily for him, his grandfather had been the principal, and as much as Makarov denied it, there was a bit of nepotism going on, allowing Laxus to slip out of a few suspensions, but not all.

Laxus had graduated just fine, not that it amounted to anything now.

What use was a high school diploma when his main job required him supervising people slaying zombies?

He snorted, unable to hold it back. What had the world come to? Who would have thought zombies were the thing that took the world out? He had been so sure it would have been something else. A war? Global warming? Aliens?

He wasn't completely ruling that last one out, finding himself rooting for some extraterrestrial creatures to invade the planet. It couldn't be any worse than what was really going on.

"What's so funny?"

Laxus turned his head slightly, seeing Natsu had taken a seat beside him. It made sense, seeing as the only other open space was by Alzach, which Gray took. There weren't many seats, just enough for the group who went to Hargeon.

Laxus furrowed his brows, memories of the mission flooding his head once more. He had liked the little break from thinking about the mission, but he couldn't keep ignoring the realities that followed their decisions.

He looked over at Millianna, seeing her slumped against Kagura. He wasn't surprised, knowing she had been feeling fatigue despite the doctors giving her the all clear. She had difficulties moving around and didn't sleep well.

Laxus frowned, wishing he had done more that night the bear attacked, but everyone had been thrown off. Zombies were one thing, but a bear? They were lucky she even survived, though he wished they would have gone back to Fairy Tail then and there, abandoning the mission for another day in favor of helping Millianna sooner.

Though, Grandeeney was out of antibiotics, so it probably wouldn't have done much good.

"Never mind," came Natsu's voice, cutting through Laxus' thoughts.

"Oh," he started, forgetting he had been asked a question. "Just, thinking about how crazy everything is."

Natsu nodded, leaning back in his chair. "I know what you mean."

Laxus almost said he doubted that, but Natsu's next question surprised him. "How's Freed?"

Aside from the smallest twitch in his cheek, Laxus appeared unaffected by the question. He stayed silent for a moment, mulling over how to answer. He knew what Natsu was really asking, a sigh escaping before he admitted, "He's upset, but understanding."

Really, it was better than he hoped for. Freed and him had a long discussion last night over the events from the mission, as well as the result from the latest pregnancy test Dr. Fisher took. It was positive, but Laxus had no right to the outcome, merely donating his sperm.

He would never be a father to the child, merely a stranger.

"I bet he knows you had no other choice," Natsu offered, probably sensing Laxus' discomfort.

He nodded once, brows pinched as he crossed his arms over his chest. "He does, but that doesn't make it much easier." Before Natsu could respond, Laxus added, "I'd be mad if the roles were reversed, so I don't blame him for being peeved."

After a long stretch of silence, Laxus mumbled, "We wanted..." He shook his head, knowing it didn't matter what they had planned for their future. The apocalypse ruined those plans.

Laxus took a deep breath before grunting, "What's taking so long?"

Both Laxus and Natsu jolted when Mavis poked up from behind the office counters. Her voice was soft, but the sudden appearance surprised them. "Rogue is giving his report, then Makarov will be ready for the Hargeon team."

Laxus almost grumbled, not caring for that name. Hargeon had its perks, sure, but it wasn't home. He was glad to be back at Fairy Tail, not wanting to take another step towards Hargeon's base.

"See you in a few days," Rogue's voice sounded before the man appeared, coming out of Makarov's office.

As Rogue left, he peered over the waiting room, giving Natsu a nod before exiting the office. Natsu scooted to the edge of his seat when Makarov stepped out into the lobby, the others from the mission perking up.

Laxus sat straighter as Makarov set down a folding chair, taking a seat before Mavis and Grandeeney joined, all three with paper to take notes.

"Alright," Makarov started, his voice reserved as he put pen to paper. "Let's begin."


Makarov nodded as Gray and Mavis discussed the outdoor showers they were planning on building in the summer. The goal was to allow everyone to shower twice a week instead of once.

The main problem was the water supply, but after some discussions with the others in the group about how Hargeon had their showers set up, they decided it was best to design the showers with buckets on the top to collect rain water.

"I noticed the showers weren't very warm," Kagura said, giving a small shrug. "It was cold outside, but I could still feel some heat from the sun. Maybe to make them hotter we can paint them a darker color, to hopefully soak in that heat?"

"Excellent idea," Grandeeney said, jotting down her own notes. "I think flat black would absorb the most heat."

"There's a paint shop about five miles from where the clearers are at. If they keep progressing like they have they should reach it before summer really hits."

"Do they have running water in Hargeon?" Mavis asked, causing the group to shake their heads.

It was Laxus who spoke up, his expression unreadable to everyone except Makarov, the man appearing on edge to him. "From what I understand, Hargeon wants to send a team to Clover Town to gain access to their refinery. They want to make fuel to get Hargeon's water running, as well as use it for better transportation."

"They have a few electric vehicles," Alzach said, scratching his head. "If we get more solar panels it may be an option for us too, if we can figure out how to hook up an outlet for it. I'm not sure what type of outlets they use."

"There may be a house around here that already had it set up," Jet said as Makarov clicked his pen. "If it requires a special one? It may be a normal outlet?"

"Or maybe like a dryer?" Natsu asked, earning a few shrugs.

"These are certainly things to look into," Makarov said, the others seeming okay with putting the electric car idea to rest for now. "What can you tell us about their systems as far as leadership and the works? A few of the former Hargeon members told me they went off a point system for purchasing resources?"

Makarov didn't miss the way Natsu tensed, but he didn't speak up right away. Instead it was Alzach who spoke again, describing his visits to the grocery store and how they purchased food that they prepared in their homes. "They also charge for electricity, which I hope we won't start doing here?"

Before Makarov could answer, Gray threw a hand up to catch his attention. "Yes?"

"I was just gonna say, while we're talking about electricity and homes, is there any plans on expanding Fairy Tail?"

Makarov hesitated, looking back at Alzach before saying, "We haven't thought to charge for the electricity. I assumed it would be like everything else, where if you work, you get that amenity."

He looked at Gray. "And for your question, yes, we do want to expand Fairy Tail, eventually."

"Any ideas on when?"

Makarov shook his head, but it was Mavis who answered. "We were hoping it wouldn't come to it, but every day it looks more like help isn't coming. Our plan is very early in development, but we were hoping to start with building a large, reinforced wall a mile around Fairy Tail first."

Makarov wasn't surprised to see the looks of surprise, nodding when Laxus asked, "A mile out? Like the gate would be a mile or a mile from base all around?"

"A mile out each direction. We figure, if we're going to expand, why not do it large enough the first time instead of constantly rebuilding walls when we need more space." Mavis turned to Makarov to see if he wanted to add more, but he nodded for her to continue.

She wore a small smile, a glint in her eyes at the plans they created. "After surveying just the few blocks out, we counted over two-hundred houses, so one mile will be more than enough space for our community and hopefully more survivors if they come across us. It'll be a project we'll work on little by little, but we're aiming to work on it full time next summer."

"Why so far out?" Gray asked, earning a sigh from Mavis.

"While the garden is going well, and we've been able to get some meat to go with it, we're not self-sustainable yet. We'd like to get the garden to at least five times the size, if not bigger before pulling the clearers and runners to work on this project."

She took a breath, waiting to see if anyone interjected. When she was met with silence, she continued. "The creek we're getting water from is a little over a mile away. We want to secure a safe path there so we can get access to the clean water because rain water isn't going to be enough."

Mavis paused to take a sip of water before explaining her ideas. "After we build the fence, then we'll go through each house and yard in the mile radius once more for another sweep to make sure there's no infected in the area. Once we're sure it's safe and the gates are very secure, we'll start having people move out into houses if they want, but the school will remain the base of operations."

Alzach rose a hand, following Gray's lead from earlier to get Mavis' attention. "I'm not saying it's a bad idea, I'm just wondering, is everyone going to be walking a mile twice a day just to get fed?"

Mavis' lips twisted as the light in her eyes dimmed a bit. "Unfortunately, yes, to start out. The goal, and I mean, this isn't going to happen for probably years—"

Makarov noted the fallen shoulders and grimaces from the group. He could only assume they were discouraged, but he hoped they would stick it out.

"I have it all written down if anyone wants to see," Mavis continued. "But long story short, our goal is to have smaller community gardens throughout the area so people don't have to walk as much, but if they want to come to the arena they're able to for food. We also want to build outdoor showers for each house, that way we can be more hygienic."

"We can use bikes," Natsu said. "They used bikes a lot at Hargeon. You don't gotta use gas, and they're easier to repair than a car."

"We could use that now too," Laxus said with a nod. "Instead of you guys building a second creep wagon—"

"It's called a zombie chariot."

"—The clearers can start riding bikes out there and back."

"That might get tiresome," Mavis pointed out, causing Laxus to sigh.

"Yeah, maybe."

"Did you have more to add Natsu?" Makarov asked, seeing the man frowning at the ground in front of him.

His eyes flickered up for a second before he shrugged. "Just gonna say, if we get enough bikes most people don't gotta walk so far when this whole plan happens."

"Most people?" Laxus asked, earning a nod from Natsu.

"I can't imagine the older folks wanna bike?" He looked at Mavis. "I assume in this big plan of yours you're planning on putting the more vulnerable people in the middle? Closer to base?"

Mavis nodded. "Actually, we were hoping they would want to stay on base to— Well, I guess when we expand the whole area would be the base, but we were hoping they'd stay in the school so they can get better care."

Natsu nodded, his brows pinched as he added, "That's good, 'cause we aren't gonna abandon them, or anything like that..."

Everyone in the room jolted at that comment, Grandeeney asking, "Why would you even say that?" She wasn't accusing, but the concern could be heard in her voice.

Natsu looked around, as if deciding if he could share his thoughts. Makarov was on the edge of his seat, needing to know where that thought came from. They hadn't once suggested they would abandon anyone, except those who deliberately showed themselves as a threat to others, though Makarov did hold some regrets on who they forced out their gates.

The world wasn't so black and white anymore, but they were trying to do right by their people.

"Just, I heard some stuff about Hargeon, and it got me worried we might end up like 'em."

"Do they abandon people?" Makarov asked, all eyes on Natsu, causing him to squirm in his seat.

"I haven't seen it personally, but someone told me some... unsavory things they do, and—" Natsu clenched his teeth. "I just... I don't agree with some of their policies, and I'm hoping Fairy Tail doesn't become too much like them."

"Are they bad?" Makarov asked, knowing that question was too broad, but a few people spoke up.

"From my experience, I wouldn't say it's bad," Jet offered.

He barely finished before Kagura countered with, "That's because you're a guy. Do you know they don't even let women out of the gates unless they're leaving for good? They wouldn't even let me near the gates when I wanted to look around the neighborhood."

"Do you think they have something to hide?" Makarov asked, watching as Natsu nodded but Kagura shook her head.

"No, they're just sexist and don't think women can defend themselves," Kagura supplied, her voice tense. "I'm not going back there."

"Me either," Laxus agreed, Alzach also nodding.

Makarov looked over each one of the members who went to Hargeon, wondering what kind of place it was they visited. He thought it was good if they fed and sheltered the people he considered his children, but he also knew some people chose to leave Hargeon to join Fairy Tail.

They mentioned a few things they didn't like about the place, but nothing extreme like sexism or hiding stuff.

"I would go back," Gray finally said, breaking the silence.

Makarov watched as Natsu looked in his direction, surprise written on his face. "You wouldn't if you knew what they were up to," Natsu said, further sparking Makarov's curiosity.

"And what are they really up to?" Gray challenged, but Natsu kept quiet, looking apprehensive.

"Natsu," Grandeeney started, voice gentle, almost motherly. She got Natsu's attention, the man looking her way as his tension seemed to fade a bit. "Earlier when Makarov asked if Kagura thought they were hiding something, you nodded. Do you know something about them you'd like to share?"

Natsu's eyes fell to the ground, then Grandeeney, before settling in his lap. He looked unsure, Makarov waiting with bated breath as Natsu delayed answering.

"I'm... I'm not completely sure it's happening... because someone told me, and they only heard it from someone else, but..."

Makarov swore Natsu paused for a solid minute before sighing. "Just, I heard at the prison they're..." He shook his head. "It's crazy. It has to be made up, because there's no way."

"Is it about the experiments?" Gray asked, his question sounding more like a statement than anything.

Natsu's jaw dropped, eyes wide as he struggled to answer right away. "You... know?"

With Gray's single nod, Makarov decided they needed answers. "What experiments?"

Gray replied, but kept his gaze on Natsu. "Before you panic, just remember the prisoners already received life sentences before the outbreak even started, so they weren't going to walk free anyways."

Makarov could already sense what was coming, his stomach dropping as he watched it unfold before his eyes.

"Gray," Natsu asked, shaking his head. "Is it true? Are they—"

"It's not that bad," Gray reasoned, but that only had Natsu's features twist until he looked angry.

"Not that bad?! Gray! Those are people!"

"People who weren't going to be free anyways."

"That doesn't give Hargeon the right to experiment on humans!"

"WHAT?!"

Makarov wasn't sure who yelled that, multiple voices filling the air as they demanded answers.

"They're experimenting on people?!"

"How do you know that?!"

"Who told you, Natsu?!"

"What are they doing?!"

"They can't really be doing that?!"

The group continued to shout, Makarov moving to stand on his chair before yelling, "That's enough!"

Everyone stared at him for a moment as he settled his gaze on Gray, cautious as he asked, "What are they doing, and how do you know?"

Natsu glared at Gray, but the man ignored it in favor of addressing their leader. "I helped in the prison for a while. They told me about the experiments to test the virus—"

"THEY WHAT?!"

Makarov couldn't blame them for that uproar, riled up himself at the idea of testing the deadly virus on humans, prisoners or not.

It took longer to calm the group, but luckily no one had taken action, yet. Everyone remained in their seats, muttering a bit more before finally quieting down. Makarov joined them, hoping they kept their discussion civilized despite the uncomfortable topic.

"It's... not as bad as it sounds," Gray said, but that only earned him some disappointed or disgusted looks.

Makarov couldn't tell what face he was making, but it was clear he didn't approve.

"I didn't think it was okay at first too, but you gotta have an open mind. These are criminals who murdered or had multiple sexual assault charges, and they were sentenced for life. Hargeon is all about conserving resources, so it's obvious they wouldn't want to feed a bunch of criminals without anything to gain, and they can't exactly set them free because who knows who they would hurt?"

Gray took a shaky breath before wrapping his arms around himself. "They're not torturing them or anything. They're just trading experiments for food. It's not something you wanna hear, but after hearing what they had to say, I think it's necessary. They've already learned so much about the virus, like—"

Gray looked around frantically. "Did you know you can eat meat from an animal that's been infected as long as you cook it to a high enough degree? It's no longer a theory, it's a fact!"

Gray's eyes continued to search, waiting for someone to challenge him, but they remained silent. "Or, the fact that the virus has an end?"

That got everyone's attention, and Gray used it to plead Hargeon's case. "Because of their research and testing, they found the virus works its way through the blood, but it gets weaker over time. Theoretically, all those infected out there will eventually drop dead because nothing will be keeping them moving anymore, which means all we have to do is outlast it."

He looked at Mavis, but she didn't look as hopeful. "You want Fairy Tail to be self-sufficient and self-sustaining? If we can get there, board up our walls, then we can all survive and eventually open the gates with nothing to fear when all the undead are finally put to rest."

Makarov watched as Gray looked to Natsu, who still appeared enraged by what he heard. "I know it's not the best way, but they weren't going to live a good life anyways being in prison. Why not make their lives count for something?"

The room fell silent as Gray waited for an answer.

Finally, after a moment, Kagura spoke up. "I don't like it, but I think I agree with Gray."

"Seriously?" Alzach asked, but it was Jet who answered next.

"I think I do too. I'm not saying it's right, but if they're just gonna sit around anyways..."

With his teeth clenched, Natsu muttered, "It's not just prisoners."

"What?" Gray looked genuinely confused, eyes blown wide when Natsu replied.

"They're experimenting on the old and disabled too."

Instead of uproar, there was sickening silence as everyone let that sink in. Makarov was the first to speak, brows pinched and voice barely a whisper as he asked, "How do you know this?"

He didn't want to jump to any conclusions, needing evidence to back up the claim. Unfortunately for Natsu, he didn't have any.

"I don't know for sure, but there was this old guy who worked on the docks and he suddenly stopped coming to work after he kept fucking up some fish."

"Are you sure he wasn't just, transferred to another job?" Mavis asked, causing Natsu to clench his fists in his lap.

"Honestly, I don't know, but I wouldn't put it past them. If they're willing to actually experiment on humans, what lines won't they cross?"

"That line," Gray answered, shaking his head. "I saw them. There were no elderly or disabled there unless they were already in prison before the outbreak."

"How do you know though?" Natsu challenged, stumping Gray for a moment. "They coulda just said they were always prisoners. You wouldn't know for sure."

"I... wouldn't, but I don't think they'd just do that." Despite his words, Gray didn't look confident.

"Even if they're not experimenting on the vulnerable," Laxus started, crossing his arms over his chest. "They're still confirmed to be doing some experiments on humans. That doesn't sit right with me."

"Me either," Alzach said, Natsu and Millianna agreeing.

Gray looked around, finally stopping on Natsu as he said, "I know it sounds bad, but—"

Natsu shook his head, stealing the words right out of Makarov's mouth. "They're still humans. Living, breathing, humans. If they need them to work for their food, they can find a million other ways, but they don't care about human life as much as they claim they do if they're willing to sacrifice lives for some stupid research."

At that, Gray got visibly angry. "It's not stupid if they discover stuff! Do you know the first thing about finding a cure for the infection? They have to figure out how it works, how it thrives and how it weakens, which means they have to make the tough decisions like—"

"Murdering people for science," Natsu finished, further riling up Gray, but he was right up there with him.

Makarov almost interjected, but jolted when Natsu stood.

"I get they want answers, but they can't decide who gets to live and die." As Gray opened his mouth, Natsu sharply cut him off, his volume steadily increasing. "And don't you dare say anything like not all of them are dying, because if they keep up those experiments, they're all gonna die, and then they'll have to find more people to fuel their sick curiosity!"

Before anyone could say a word, Natsu turned, the door to the office thrown open before he disappeared into the halls. It took a second for Makarov to react, leaving his seat to join Natsu in the halls, Gray right behind him.

"Natsu! Don't just leave when we're talking!" Gray yelled, causing Natsu to whirl around so fast he had to stop himself, probably feeling dizzy from the sudden motion.

He composed himself quickly, Makarov silently watching as Natsu marched up, jabbing Gray's chest with a finger as he shouted back. "Are you fucking kidding me Gray? Are you? Experimenting on humans? Playing with people's lives?"

Natsu shook his head, sucking in a shaky breath. "You were opposed to the death penalty, but now you're suddenly okay with prisoners dying?"

Gray's jaw tightened, voice guarded as he said, "It's not like I'm hoping they die or anything. I'm just trying to look at it logically."

Natsu shook his head. "You can save your breath. You're not going to convince me what they're doing isn't sick."

"We don't have the luxury of taking the moral high ground when literally everyone's lives are in danger. Yours. Mine. Erza's. Jellal's. Cana's. Levy's. Lucy's."

Natsu's eye twitched as his hand curled into a fist, but Gray continued. "Sometimes sacrifices have to be made," he said, causing Natsu to growl.

"Then they should only experiment on people who have a right to say no. They don't do human trials on unwilling people."

"They don't do any trials now," Gray pointed out, reaching out to grab Natsu's arm when he tried turning around.

"Get your fucking hands off me!" Natsu tore his arm away, practically seething. "What the hell happened to you?! The Gray I know wouldn't be okay with something like this."

"That's not fair." Gray clenched his fists, but kept them by his side. "And you know it. We've all changed since this started. I just realized we need answers now, before it's too late. How many people have died because of the virus? Wouldn't it be good if we could find a way to stop the infection? Tell me?! Do you have a better solution to finding the cure?!"

"I—" Natsu closed his mouth as his fists shook. It took a moment before he sighed, the man looking deflated. "I'm going to be very honest with you right now."

Makarov watched as the two men stared at each other, ready to step in if things resorted to violence. He wouldn't allow such a thing at Fairy Tail, but at the same time, he knew he wouldn't be able to kick either of them out. Still, he would do his best to stop any altercation before it went too far.

Natsu stuffed his hands into his pockets, lips pressed into a thin line before he breathed deeply through his nose. "I'm ready to punch you in the face, but I don't wanna do that, because despite you being a fucking idiot, you're still my best friend."

Unlike the heavy tension in the air, Gray's shoulders fell. "Do you think less of me or something?"

"I am seeing you a bit differently, yes," Natsu answered, eyes flitting a few times before landing on Gray again. "I... Part of me gets it, but no part of me likes it."

"I don't like it either," Gray reasoned, but it didn't appear his words reached Natsu.

"I just need some space to cool off, then maybe we can talk, but I seriously doubt I'm gonna change my mind. I still think it's wrong."

"Well, of course it's wrong," Gray said, running his hand through his hair before giving it a tug. "I know it's not right what they're doing, but..."

As his voice trailed off, Natsu turned. That caused Gray's eyes to round as he said, "You shouldn't leave."

Natsu stopped before looking over his shoulder. "If I stay, we're probably gonna fight, and I doubt Gramps will be okay with that."

Gray looked down at Makarov, probably having forgotten he was there judging by the confusion in his eyes. He turned to Natsu, pleading one last time. "Just, please stay?"

Natsu shook his head. "No. I'm gonna go clear my head. Maybe find Lucy. I just—"

"You shouldn't leave. Besides, Lucy's at work," Gray reasoned, probably in an attempt to sway Natsu's mind, but that comment only confused Makarov.

His brows furrowed as he looked at Natsu, seeing him shrug before taking a step away.

"Macao shouldn't mind. Hell, I'll help her out if I need to."

"She's not at work?" Makarov finally said, thoroughly confused. 'Natsu's Lucy's roommate. Surely he knows—'

"What do you mean?" Natsu asked, turning around to face Makarov.

"It's..." Makarov looked back and forth between Gray and Natsu, seeing their clueless faces. 'At least they're not yelling anymore.'

"Lucy has the day off," he said, causing Natsu to blink in surprise.

"Oh? She doesn't have Wednesdays off anymore?"

Before Natsu could add anything, Makarov shook his head. "No? She gets Tuesdays and Saturdays off?"

Makarov's forehead creased with a wrinkle as he watched Natsu digest that information. He opened his mouth a few times, needing a moment before he asked, "So, she gets two days off now?"

That had Makarov raising a brow. He was sure Natsu would have known, but clearly he was left in the dark. Deciding to shine some light, Makarov said, "Well, yeah. All runners get those days off."

Natsu stared at him, his brows knitting together before slowly loosening. When Natsu still didn't say anything, Makarov added, "Lucy gets today off too, because she's a runner."

Makarov watched as Natsu's eyes widened, jaw falling as he whispered, "What?"

.

.

.


A friend (who I've known for about a decade) told me something about themselves and I literally just stared at them in shock, and when they asked what I was thinking, I straight up told them, "I look at you different now." It's very hard to hear someone you have history with making a decision you don't agree with on a moral level. Natsu and Gray will sort through this, but oh will it take time now that the wound has been created. I can see both sides (only with life-long prisoners, not the old or disabled, which hasn't been 100% confirmed), but that doesn't make it any easier. Which side would you take? Or are you indifferent? Or can you see both sides, even if you don't agree with it completely? Do you think there's a better way to test the virus without putting humans at risk?

Hope y'all liked the chapter! This is my first chapter where there was no Natsu or Lucy POV, lol. Anyone catch that? I'm experimenting (too soon?) with different perspectives. Next chapter is all in Lucy's POV. :P

So I made a side blog on tumblr for extra content on this story. It won't include chapters or sneak peeks (those are on my main tumblr, username=mushi9), but it will have the pictures associated with this fic (like commissions and such) or some of the asks that really stood out to me. No pressure to follow, it will just be an easier way to find some extras since this site doesn't allow me to post pictures in the chapters. For instance, it has what Natsu and Lucy's room looks like (before the bigger bed). The side blog is literally called 'CHDH', so hopefully it won't be hard finding it.

I'm basing Fairy Tail off my high school, and there's a creek 1.5 miles away from the school. There's also an arena, and from just counting a few blocks out for one mile, I came up with over 200 houses, so they'd be set for a loooong time when it came to empty houses to put new survivors in, if they get more people.

Up next, Chapter Fifty-Eight: Day off

Thank you so much for your continued support! Y'all are flipping fantastic! Shout out to those lovely people who gave me feedback last time: Hayitsmay363, ottermadness, sakshishetty3003, stranger1999, SheWhoLeavesCrappyReviews, llendais, Smartyul, aiyannaliszkap, CathJorda, valerioux, Guest, Mandapandaa, Stellar Spirit Mage, annegirl13, zooeyandvincy, KaleidoMirror, shootingstarssel, Lady Of The Sphinx, Amazing Lord Shamastus, Sam, ElementalMiko12, Doginshoe, XxxNaxxxx, MeteorWars, Dezez, sonikastalker, Bobp0p, Xfangirl123X, abauers14, crimsonlotus400, Sydneste, ipromiseimnotatotaldweeb, Guest, dareaderreads, FlameDragonHime, guest, positive vibes only(x2), Guest, Guest, Haru, Duchixx, Yaknova, n. kukurichan, Guest, nukosasame, car213, Reno Cosmico, justyourtypicalbookworm, Marinamohsin, Senowica, guest, and Bakers28!

I know everyone won't like everything in this story, but I appreciate your input and theories and overall comments! So, thank you! Have a great day/night! And please let me know what you thought of this chapter!