*August's POV*

I sat at my normal spot at the bar and stared into space. By now I knew that Vi must have arrived in Hargeon, and despite my protests I knew that Natsu was in tow.

The thought of it sent a fresh surge of anger through me, but I tried my best to push it down. I knew I didn't have much of a right to make requests of the master. That was the reason I hadn't made any. I had done what I was told, gone with the flow, and held my tongue.

But when the master told Natsu to go with Violet and the others on an already dangerous job, I had to put my foot down. It was the only thing that I had asked of him, and he had denied the request.

I understood that he was the master of his guild, and thus had the right to make decisions for the greater good. But that didn't extend to Violet and I. the way I saw it, we had not joined our own volition, but under someone else's orders. Therefore we hadn't agreed to making that old man our ally the way that all the other members had by joining normally.

He was not responsible for us.

And we owed him nothing.

Now that we had turned traitor, we didn't owe anyone anything. It was Violet and I against the world. It was up to me to make decisions that were best for us. The master had ignored that and sent Natsu along anyway.

The only thing I could do now was sit around and wait for word from Takashi, or for V to return, whichever came first. I was starting to realize that it was easier said than done to have Natsu play dead for the rest of eternity, and that I was going to have to come up with a better excuse for why he was still breathing.

I could always pretend that we thought he was dead and that he miraculously showed up days latter, but there where a lot of issues with that plan to, namely that Violet wasn't stupid enough to leave without properly disposing of the body. I would have to come up with a reason that he had been able to get away.

The master had retracted to his office an hour or so before, though I figured he would be back soon. I knew that he must have plenty better things to do than babysitting me, but he had yet to leave me alone for more than two hours at a time.

I did my best to accept this, even though I didn't like it. I knew that it was only fair that I would be watched like a hawk after everything that happened. And I had it way better than Violet, who hadn't escaped the Fairies' gaze once since waking.

And despite the overall atmosphere of the guild hall being damaged upon Vi and Natsu's return, I could feel it slowly returning to normal. No one had really been hurt, and I knew that any damage we had done was fading away. I knew that they had faced worse. It was probably the natural response for most of them by now, disaster and recovery, a constant cycle.

I shifted for a more comfortable position on my bar stool. I had been trained to deal with boredom, but even I had my limits. I hadn't even left the guild hall since Violet returned, and the only one who seemed to dare starting a conversation was the master. At least before I had the opportunity to mingle with the other fairies, even if only to gain information. But it was pointless now. I wasn't the one who would be fighting for Vi and I's escape anymore. I just had to rig the game just perfectly so that both guilds could tear each other apart. Only then could we be free.

Presently I heard a door open and close somewhere behind the bar. Apparently it was time for the master's little check in. I took a deep breath, trying to prepare myself in the case that he tried to talk to me this time.

When he emerged from the hall I noticed that he wasn't alone, behind him was our former target Gajeel Redfox. I hadn't seen him enter the master's office, but hid my interest by averting my gaze. It was probably none of my business. A moment later the master appeared in his usual spot on the counter and a few feet to my right. I acted as though I hadn't noticed him.

After a few minutes I risked a glance to find that he wasn't looking at me, but gazing out at the other guild members. I let out a sigh of relief, assuming this meant he wasn't going to talk to me this time.

But my celebration was short lived.

As soon as I turned away from the master a heavy arm draped over my shoulder from behind, on instinct I threw an elbow into my attacker's gut, giving me time to hop off the stool and face my opponent.

What I saw was an undeterred Gajeel. I worried for a moment if I would be in trouble for hitting him, but if the master was watching us, he didn't let on.

"What's your problem?" I asked, hoping I sounded threatening enough that he would leave me alone.

My rough tone seemed to have the opposite effect. Gajeel was now flashing a lopsided grin. "Just thought I'd come say hello to an old friend."

It was my turn to grin, though not in greeting.

"We're not friends." I said, setting back onto my stool "Get lost." I made a big show of turning my stool back to the bar, but in the process I accidently made eye contact with the master. Suddenly things became clear. Gajeel was not being friendly in the least. Talking to him was not a request.

A hand on my shoulder further confirmed my suspicions.

"I think the two of us should go on a little walk."

I looked up at the master.

He raised an eyebrow, daring me to challenge him. I refused to be deterred.

"Fine." I said, both to the master and to Gajeel. "Let's go."

I drained my cup and walked toward the door. Gajeel followed close behind me, as though he expected me to run. I stepped out into the fresh air, blinking against the sunlight. I couldn't let myself be distracted.

I waited until I heard the door close behind us, and then turned Gajeel, ready to state my mind.

"I know the master sent you to deal with me, so I'll do us both a favor. We both go our separate ways and then meet here back in ten minutes, you'll get your brownie points, and I don't get in trouble, deal?"

I stretched out my hand to seal the agreement, but Gajeel didn't move. Something seemed to be flashing behind his eyes, and I realized in an instant that I had made the wrong decision.

Perhaps the master had sent me out here not to be talked to, but to be dealt with. A horrible thought flashed through my mind. I had thrown Takashi off our trail, and then allowed Violet to leave on a job without me. If the master was going to do me in, now would be the time to do it.

Could it be that I had been sent out here to die?

My hand dropped to my side, but I made no other move. If I had to run, I would. all the way to Hargeon where Vi and I could be reunited.

But Gajeel didn't move to attack me.

"Do you think this is a game?"

Not having prepared myself for conversation, I sputtered for a moment, "W-what?"

"Do you think that I would be out here if I didn't wanna be?"

"But your master-"

"That old man gave me a suggestion, not an order." he pinched the bridge of his nose, and I wondered if he was regretting his choice to drag me out here. "Look kid-"

It was my turn to interrupt. "I'm not a kid."

He smiled at me again, "then how old are you?"

I swallowed. I had told him I was twenty the first time we met, thought it was clear he no longer believed me, perhaps never did. It had already been a stretch to go that high, but I was worried about what questions would come if I wasn't a legal adult.

But after Grey and Natsu forced the truth out of Vi, it was harder to keep up pretenses. A six year age gap was possible, but not not likely. But of course we aren't actually siblings. And I wasn't really an adult.

"Seventeen."

"Seventeen." The word was half sigh, half grimace, but if anything he seemed more determined now to get his two bits in. He took a deep breath, and I prepared myself for a quick retort, anything to get away from him.

"You may not know this," he started, "but before I joined Fairy Tail-"

I knew where this was going, and I didn't want to deal with it. "I know."

"You-"

"Do you think we came here without research?" I asked, suddenly angry. "Do you think we were just flying by the seat of our pants?"

"I didn't say that."

And some small part of me knew that he was right. Some small part of me knew that this was an overreaction, triggered by my stress, or shame or who knew what else.

But I didn't care.

Despite what he seemed to think, Gajeel was not my friend. Everything that was between us had been a rouse, and yet...I knew why the master had sent him after me. Because he had been the one that I had shown the most interest in.

Because he's a target.

Because the master thought we could relate to each other.

We are not the same.

I wanted to break any pretense of a bond. Shatter our relationship, and thus our comparability until both were beyond repair.

"We're not that stupid." I said, "We had a good plan, unlike you and Phantom Lord." I sensed that I was about to cross a line, but I didn't care. I relished in it. "Vi and I didn't come in here guns blazing, hurting the first fairies that we could get our hands on just to throw a little hissy fit. If things hadn't been so rushed you might be dead right now. It amazes me how an entire guild failed when it was so easy to infiltrate this place, hell, Vi just had a little sleep over at Lucy's if that had happened a week ago we could be two targets down, all smothered in their sleep."

I was rambling, becoming hysterical. It was as though the fresh air, and the presence of someone who I had once been friendly with were drawing out all the ugly parts of me, poison from a wound.

I was provoking a fight. provoking a yelling match. Anything to get me back in the running. One more chance to prove that I could win something. But Gajeel didn't move.

"Are you done?" he growled.

I opened my mouth only to close it again. I recognized the look on his face. I had seen it many times before at Justice Valkyrie. He thought I was too young. Too inexperienced to deserve my rank. Too deserve my missions. Too young to deserve my anger.

"This guild is a force to be reckoned with," he said, "and it seems like both of us learned that the hard way. but the worst mistake you can make right now is to push yourself deeper into what that old guild of your set up for you. You're at a crossroads because the old man is giving you a chance. Don't. Throw. It. Away."

His eyes had suddenly changed. I realized then that he had not looking down on me before, but looking out for me. It wasn't until then that I realized it wasn't the same thing.

Coming form anyone else this would have been a load of mindless Fairy Tail sentiments. But Gajeel and I both knew that he had been in my shoes before. I realized then that it must have been the master that reached out to him in the first place, calling him back to the fold after his guild had attacked the fairies. And now I was being offered the same choice.

But I already had a plan. I was going to play nice only as long as it suited me, then leave everyone for dead. It was me and Violet against the world. I had been sure of that.

I hated to admit I might have been wrong.

But perhaps I hadn't fooled the master as thoroughly as I'd first thought. Perhaps he had foreseen my need to run. Somehow, he had known that I was no longer loyal to any guild, but only to myself and Violet.

So he had set his perfect charity project out to change my mind.

And it was working.