The police and other authorities were swamped everywhere in the town square, investigating the large number of bodies lying dead on cobblestone road. Their blood basically painting nearly every inch of it red. Juvia made a Catholic sign as a way to bless the poor souls of the victims and Natsu had to take a quick drink of the emergency pack of blood he brought just so he wouldn't be tempted. Once he had his fill, his nose picked up a sent coming from building just across the square that was due to be condemned.
"That's where our target is." He said pointing toward the building. "Let's move but do so discreetly. We don't want to attract any attention from the cops."
They parked the vehicle on the side where it wouldn't be noticed then quietly and discreetly moved to the building. They would have gotten there no problem but there was a sudden complication. Something burst out of the ground, something huge, hulking, and repulsive. It was black and seemed to be made of tar, it had no eyes just a large jaw with a huge set of teeth.
"What the hell is that?" Natsu asked.
"Oh crap." Gray said. "It's a demon leech."
"A demon leech?" Lucy said. "What's that supposed to be?"
"Demons and devils have their own classification based on how powerful they are. At the top the heap were the first ones the fallen angels and the souls of man who turned from God, second would be my rank the natural born devils, third are the incubi and the succubi ugh! Those ones really creep me out. Fourth are the Azhdayas, fifth are the mares and the drudes, sixth the imps, and at the bottom of the heap are the parasites."
"Shouldn't parasites be small?" Lucy asked.
"Some are but not all. Like this one. They range from different types but they all have one thing in common. Like regular parasites, their only goal is to feed off of something."
"So this thing is out for blood?"
"Worse. Souls. Blood is useless to a demon but souls, they would do anything to get a human's immortal soul. Though technically speaking parasites can't take their entire soul. Only the essence of it. The only way a demon can get it's hands on the whole package is if a human being willingly barters it away. Hence why my kind has no mind control powers like vampires do."
"They don't?"
"Nope. You know how humans have the choice to decide weather or not they follow God? Well it goes both ways with Satan. In matters of the soul it's all about choice. No forcing, no stealing, no mind control. We can manipulate, influence, even possess a human but we can't mess with their free will. Has to be their willing decision."
"But doesn't possession count as messing with their free will?" Natsu asked.
"No because that's controlling their bodies not their minds. Free will is in the mind. But that aside we have a very serious problem here. That great big ugly thing is going to pop human beings into it's mouth, suck out their soul essence, and then spit the bodies out like chewing tobacco."
"What do we do?" Juvia said. "I mean obviously we should stop this thing right?"
"Yes but it's obviously a diversion to keep us from finding the master mind behind the recent massacre here." Gray said. "Natsu, you and Lucy get to the building. I'll handle this."
When Natsu and Lucy ran toward the building, Gray cracked his knuckles and turned to Juvia.
"Something this big isn't going to be easy to kill with my cover abilities. Undo the seal Juvia."
She nodded and pressed the trigger on the watch. She watched as black markings appeared on Gray's face and body, he grew taller, his gargoyle like wings came out from his back, his shirt was torn off by the great force, his nails and teeth turned to claws and fangs, his ears became pointed, and his small horns appeared on his head. At an incredible amount of speed he jumped from the ground and flew toward the demon leech.
It was a nasty fight. The leech rampaged through various buildings, houses, and streets in a gluttonous attempt to devour fleeing civilians. The first thing Gray did was throw something into the leech's jaw, it burst and caused some paste like substance to splatter on it's jaw and glue it shut. That made the abomination really angry and it responded by tossing Gray around and battering him. It even tried to use him as a pry for the substance stuck to it's mouth.
Poor Juvia wanted to help him but all she could do for him at the moment was pray that he would be alright. She made herself useful by helping civilians get to safety and escape from being trapped by things like falling debris or turned over vehicles. Authorities were soon evacuating people from the town in order to avoid being attacked.
"Ma'am please come with us." An officer told her. "It's not safe here."
"I can't go right now." Juvia protested.
"Ma'am I must insist."
"But you don't understand. My friend is-"
"Captain look!" Another officer said pointing upward to Gray. "There's two of them now!"
"What are they?" A third one asked.
"Another monster! Where are they all coming from?!" A civilian cried.
"They'll destroy the town!" Another civilian shouted.
"No please." Juvia said trying to keep the peace. "No one panic. Everything is under control. He's not here to hurt you. He's only trying to help."
But she couldn't be heard over the loud and panicked voices crying out. Back up top, the leech knocked over an apartment building that came crumbling down toward the road. Amdist the chaos, a boy was desperately trying to run from the falling debris that was about to crush him however it looked like he wouldn't make it. Just before brick and large chunks of steal could bury him, Gray swooped down and grabbed him to safety.
"No! No! No! Put me down!" He shouted in terror of both nearly getting killed and being grabbed by fearsome looking stranger. "Don't hurt me! Please!"
"Easy, easy." Gray told him calmly. "I'm not going to hurt you."
"You're not?"
"No. Sorry for the surprise grab but one second longer and it probably would have been the end of you. Now hold on tight, I'll get you down as soon as I finish up with this."
With the boy safely secure in one arm, he used his other to pull out a blade and made his strike. All eyes turned to a silver light that came bursting from the leech as it was being cut down in half by Gray's blade. It split and broke in two before it disintegrated into ash. The light dimmed and the leech was no more. Gray carefully landed on the cobble stone road with just his two feet.
"You okay?" He asked the boy.
"Yeah." He said.
"I didn't freak out too bad with that stunt I pulled did I?"
"No! That was Awesome! Can you do it again?"
Gray smiled but it didn't stay with him long.
"Romeo!" The boy's father ran toward him and pulled the boy from him. "What have you done to my son?!"
"Nothing. He's fine." Gray said.
"You stay away from my boy you monster!" The man shouted.
"Dad he didn't do anything." The boy called Romeo defended but his father didn't listen and neither did anyone else in the crowd.
"You freak! This happened because of you didn't it?!" A civilian shouted hatefully.
"He's a demon! A minion of Satan!" Cried another one.
"He caused all this! I'm sure!"
"Somebody do something before he destroys us all!"
"Freeze!" The police captain said as he and the other officers pointed their guns at him. "Don't move! Whoever you are, you're under arrest!"
"But I didn't do anything wrong." Gray argued.
His words meant nothing to him. They just threw insults, looks of disgust and fear, and rocks at him. One even threw a shard of broken glass from a window at him. It cut his cheek but it didn't hurt as bad as the insults and stares. He only saw two kind faces in the crowd. The first was Romeo who looked at him sympathetically and was saying something which couldn't be heard due to the crowd but Gray could read his lips. He was mouthing: I'm sorry. The second was Juvia who for a moment just stood there looking horrified. But not of him, of the people. Without a word she left the crowd and slowly walked to Gray. The crowd seized fire with their rocks and watched her intently.
"Ma'am get out of the way!" The police captain ordered.
"What is she going to do?" Civilians started saying.
"Stay away from that creature!"
"He'll eat you!"
"She's a nun right? Maybe she'll exorcise it?!"
"Glories be we're saved!"
But she didn't do that. She stopped and faced him. She eyed the cut from on his cheek and gently wiped away the blood with a handkerchief she kept with her. Gray and the crowd were confused by her actions and then confusion turned into utter shock when she out stretched her arms to circle around his neck and back, embracing him. In that moment Gray couldn't move or even think. His mind just couldn't comprehend what was happening. He was being touched. Touched affectionately by someone. This was something that had not been done to him for far too long and due to that he had no idea how to react to it suddenly being done to him again.
"Lady what are you doing?!" The crowd shouted.
"Don't touch him!"
"He's dangerous!"
"Step away from that woman!" The police captain demanded. "Ma'am for your own protection, move away from that thing!"
Still she did not heed his order and after being quiet for a few minutes longer, she whispered softly into Gray's ear.
"I think we should go back now. I'm certain Natsu and Lucy can handle the rest. You've been through enough."
"I will not repeat myself again!" The captain said. "Release her or we will shoot!"
Shots rang out but Gray moved too quickly to be hit. He took Juvia into a bridal hold and flew off from the scene. During the whole flight back neither one said anything but it was obvious what each of them were feeling at the moment. One rejection, shame, and self revulsion and the other compassion, empathy, and sorrow for the other.