*Chapter Forty-Four: Grey
(February 25th, 2018 Sunday Midnight)
Snow crunched beneath their feet as Lucy followed Erik, the outside chill not registering to her. Questions consumed her world, unsure what to think of her current situation.
Natsu had told. She had given him her trust, and he told her secrets like it was nothing. Betrayal was something Lucy was familiar with, but she foolishly thought she was safe confiding in Natsu.
'I was wrong. So so wrong. How... how could he?'
Her eyes remained glossy as she fought back tears. He had no right to tell, and she couldn't even confront him about it because he was gone, maybe even dead.
The first tear fell, followed by another. The thought of Natsu never coming back was far worse than any stupid secret being spilled. 'He must have had his reasons... Right? Maybe it's not black and white here. Maybe it's in the gray area.'
'Or maybe I'm trying to rationalize his abusive behavior because I don't want to believe he's capable of hurting me like that? No, Natsu isn't abusive. He's nice, he's warm, he's my friend. Right? I'm not being delusional?'
Doubt clouded her mind as they approached the gate, the lights of a car illuminating the guards and three unidentifiable people. Erik stopped just outside of earshot of the group, casting Lucy a glance until he was sure he had her attention, which would never happen.
Not fully.
She struggled to put her thoughts aside, only catching a few clips of what Erik said. He wanted her to tell him if the newcomers were part of the group that held her prisoner.
The ones who allowed her to be belittled and tortured by that lunatic.
When Erik paused, Lucy nodded, wanting to get it over with. Her nerves sizzled when she took her first step again, the reality setting in that she may encounter those heinous people once more.
The air around her seemed thinner as she got closer, but as soon as she caught a glimpse of the first person, she relaxed.
While she didn't know the type of people they were or if they had any evil in them, they were not in fact part of the group who hurt her. The two young girls and man with them appeared to be a small family just seeking shelter.
Lucy took a few short breaths before shaking her head, the tension in her shoulders and back fading as she whispered, "I've never seen them before."
"I figured as much," Erik said, giving the guard a thumbs up before whispering, "They looked harmless, but we can't be too careful nowadays."
'Can't be too careful nowadays,' Lucy repeated in her head, a pang in her chest pulling her to the present moment. She looked around her, reminding herself that just because it was safe inside Fairy Tail didn't mean it was safe everywhere.
Zombies weren't the only threat, and Natsu knew that. He was smart, clever. He must have known there was a possibility that Ivan and his minions could stumble upon Fairy Tail, and if they didn't know what to look out for, they could have unknowingly welcomed pure evil right into their home.
'He didn't betray me,' she thought, wishing it didn't hurt still. He had gone about it the wrong way, should have told Lucy he needed to tell the others that there was a potential threat beyond the gates, but he had gone behind her back, and that was what truly stung.
"Come on," Erik said, nodding towards the school. "I'll walk ya back."
Lucy didn't need an escort, but she followed along anyway, not caring either way. She thought they would walk in silence, seeing as they had nothing to talk about now, but just before they reached the building's door, Erik cleared his throat.
"It's so damn cold. Ready for it to get warm again."
Lucy gave a polite nod, not up for talking, but Erik continued without taking her subtle hint.
"My girl is pregnant so it's been hard on her." He paused when they entered the school, his footsteps slowing until he came to a stop. Looking at Lucy, he sighed, grabbing the back of his head before averting his eyes. "I'm sure this wasn't easy on you, but thanks. I feel like the base is a little safer now that Ivan or his people aren't here."
"Oh, um..." Lucy frowned, unsure what to say. "It's fine. I guess... I understand." Which was true, now she mostly understood why Natsu told, but she wished he had came to her first before telling just anyone. She hadn't even told Grandeeney the name of the man who hurt her, mostly sticking to the hard times she experienced before the outbreak.
'I wonder if Grandeeney already knows?' Lucy almost asked, but then Erik spoke up again, giving her a piece to the puzzle she didn't know she needed.
"Makarov's really torn up about it. I mean, who wouldn't be?"
Lucy raised a brow, but decided not to respond. She understood Natsu being torn up when she told him. They were friends. Makarov didn't have any real connection with Lucy. 'Maybe Makarov's empathetic?'
"I an sorry you went through that," Erik said, shaking his head as Lucy's heart fell. "I can't imagine... all that... that torture."
Lucy's eyes pricked as her bottom lip trembled. 'How... how much did Natsu tell?' A deep hurt set in, her chest feeling punctured as her vision swam. She understood Natsu warning them about bad people out there, but did he have to give details on what they did to her?
"I want to go," Lucy said, making her voice firm despite her shaking, fighting off the memories that demanded her focus. She didn't want to address them now, slowly working her way through the trauma with Grandeeney as her guide.
"Okay," Erik said softly, nodding before Lucy turned and headed towards her room. She didn't bother looking back, her only mission being to get to the safety of her room.
'Our room,' she thought, her chest hurting, feeling the absences of her friend and roommate. 'When he makes it back, I'm going to give him an earful about telling my secrets without my permission.'
Lucy had to process what he did, but not tonight.
No, she would rest tonight, let her mind reset so she could think more clearly. She wished she could talk to Natsu about it now, but she had to wait until he made it back.
Until then, she would just try to make it through the days, even if they seemed to drag the longer Natsu was gone.
(March 5th, 2018, Monday Afternoon)
"Uh, Gray?"
"Yeah?"
"Where are your clothes?"
"What?" Gray glanced down, eyes widening when he saw his bare chest and boxers. "Oh shit!" He looked around frantically, grabbing at his discarded shirt and jeans that were thrown over on Natsu's side of the bench.
"How do you even have room to strip?" Jet asked, raising his brow as Gray shrugged on his shirt.
"I don't even remember doing it," he groaned, wondering where his belt with the lock went. He had taken it off last night before bed, but it was nowhere to be seen.
Jet's eyes flitted to Natsu, seeing the man nearly passed out from motion sickness despite the van going five miles an hour, carefully weaving through scattered cars on the off ramp. "Natsu's not looking too hot back here."
"He'll be... fine," Laxus mumbled, his palm pressed against his mouth as he tried not to dry heave. They had run out of motion sickness pills, not packing enough for their lengthy mission.
Nineteen days.
It had been nineteen days since they left Fairy Tail, but they were finally in the homestretch. The latest highway sign said Hargeon was twenty-five miles away, meaning they had a few days left before they reached the city, depending on the roadblocks along the way.
After pulling on his pants, Gray looked out the window, seeing they were approaching a truck stop. One car was completely black and charred, burnt to a crisp. Corpses littered the area, but none of them moved. It didn't matter if they saw a threat or not, they would take precautions to clear the place before relaxing.
"Hey Laxus," Kagura started, her voice soft but eyes sharp as she observed their surroundings. "If this place is safe, do you think we could try sleeping in there tonight?"
"Please?" Gray asked, showing his support.
Laxus seemed to consider it as they pulled up, Alzack putting the vehicle in park while they let their leader and Natsu regain their senses.
"What does everyone... think?" Laxus asked, swallowing heavily as some nausea remained.
Gray wasn't surprised when the group voted unanimously to stay the night inside. Gray needed to stretch, at least for one night. Since Millianna's attack, they had stayed in the van every night. It had gotten increasingly worse, not only with the aches and pains of sleeping in such tight quarters, but also with the smell.
None of them had taken a proper shower since their departure, meaning it had been almost three weeks of living in their own filth.
It was unbearable to Gray, so he couldn't imagine what it was like for Natsu's sensitive nose. Honestly, Gray was surprised his pyro friend hadn't burned it off just to avoid the stench.
"Looks safe enough," Alzack said, though he kept his pistol next to him just in case, tucked in the side pocket of the driver door.
"I need to get out of here," Natsu groaned, reaching for the door despite it being on the opposite side of the van. "Feel... sick."
"Alright, remember to keep your eyes peeled," Laxus said as he opened the door, ignoring the bright shine of the sun.
March always seemed to do that, giving them a few nice days to make people think spring was upon them, only to bring back the chill without warning. It would be late April before the weather truly cleared up, but it was still a treat to get some warmth after such a long winter.
"Natsu. You and Jet go around back, kill any undead fucks you see on the way. Gray, you me and Alzack will take care of the shop."
"I think I should stay here," Alzack said, looking over towards the third row of seats where Millianna rested in Kagura's arms. Millianna's skin was pale, her eyes shut as she struggled with pain.
Despite their best efforts to keep her wounds clean, they still found signs of infection. The skin on her chest and stomach area was slightly swollen and red, the girl's fever a constant presence over the past two days.
They had skirted around it as long as they could, finding a few antibiotic pills while searching through vehicles, but it wasn't enough.
It always seemed like everything they did wasn't enough.
The truck stop gave them hope. Vehicles were scattered everywhere, and there was a chance there were dead people inside. The odds that they found at least a few pills seemed good, so they took the risk to stay instead of continuing down the highway.
Laxus' brows furrowed as he considered before sighing. "Yeah, alright. Keep an eye out for anything coming. Honk the horn if you have to and we'll come running."
Alzack nodded before watching as Gray, Jet, then Natsu filed out of the van. The door was slid shut softly to reduce noise, not wanting to attract any attention.
"Stay safe," Laxus instructed as the four approached the truck stop, hoping it was as abandoned as it appeared. They hadn't gone one day without encountering the undead since leaving Fairy Tail, and it seemed unlikely that would change today.
"I hope no one raided it already," Gray whispered as they neared the entrance, snacks and pop on his mind. In his peripherals he saw Jet and Natsu walk towards the sides of the building, ready to get rid of any zombies that lurked in the area.
Gray gripped the handle of his ax before kicking the side of a dead body to check if it was a zombie or not. His stomach rolled when it didn't move, guilt striking him as he wondered if the person died in pain.
It was a stupid question, one he knew the answer to. He couldn't imagine dying, especially by the rotting hands of one of those things.
When he died, he hoped it was quick.
Laxus peeked through the glass doors, eyes scanning the area before pulling the handle. The immediate smell made them both recoil, but they had to tough it out. They could deal with getting rid of the smell later, after they made sure the place was secure.
As Gray walked inside, Laxus propped the door open to make an easy escape should things go sideways. They thought the only danger they may encounter would be zombies, but they were wrong.
"DROP YOUR WEAPONS!"
It all happened so fast, yet time felt like it moved in slow motion as a gun was pressed into the side of Gray's body. He turned, eyes growing wide as the cold black metal raised, pointed directly at his face. A man yelled at him, his words blurred as Gray struggled to think.
He didn't believe it was real at first, not until his ax was knocked out of his hand and the metal touched his cheek. He didn't have time to process what was happening, didn't have a choice on what he should do in that situation.
He used to joke with Natsu all the time when they were at work, saying he would fight off anyone who tried to mug him, but now...
Now he knew he never had an option.
His hands went up in the air, palms facing outwards to show he was no threat. He couldn't think, his body doing everything in its power to keep him alive. All he knew was he needed to survive, nothing else mattered.
His life didn't flash before his eyes, not even when Laxus tried talking them down and the gun was pushed deeper into Gray's cheek. His face went white and his heart dropped, the man petrified, terrified that he could die at any second. All it would take was a squeeze, a small amount of pressure and then—
It would be over.
Gray didn't register when Jet came barreling through the door, only to be stopped by a shotgun held by a shaking woman. Natsu was nowhere to be found, not that Gray was looking. His eyes stayed fixed on the gun directed his way, even when it was finally pulled away from his face, a few inches of distance put between them when the man took a step back.
"We're not here to hurt you," Laxus said, keeping his voice steady. He gulped when a rifle was jabbed into his chest, another woman's hand twitching as she sized him up.
"Big talk, from a dead man." Her voice trembled, something Laxus picked up on.
"Look, no one here wants any violence."
"Don't tell me what I want! You big—"
"Charlotte!" the man aiming a gun at Gray hissed, his eyes never leaving his prisoner.
Gray couldn't bring himself to look at him, too afraid it would set him off. Instead, he remained frozen in place. Nothing could make him budge, not when someone else held his life in their hands. He wasn't sure he was even breathing, his throat tightening as his chest weighed down.
The gun shook as the man spoke, his eyes flitting to Laxus. "We don't want a confrontation. We're just here to get some supplies and move along. That's it. If y'all can oblige us and stay out of our way until we're done and let us leave without any problems, well then we'll be on our way. That sound fair?"
Gray wanted to nod, but he couldn't. How was it possible for him to be so helpless, so defenseless? All he had to do was smack the man's hand and charge, but he remained still. Luckily for all of them, Laxus used to be a cop. He had training that prepared him for high-stressed situations, and he kept his composure even when his teammates didn't.
"Yes," Laxus said while the woman in front of him fidgeted. "None of us want to hurt anyone. We're just on our way down the road and thought this might be a good place to stop too."
Laxus didn't mention where they were headed or where they came from. It was smart on his part, seeing as the trust between the two groups was severely damaged. The less the strangers knew, the better.
"Okay, good. Just climb back in that van of yours until we're through. Then—"
His voice cut out when the sound of a baby's cries echoed from somewhere deeper in the station, towards the trucker shower area. A few hushes let them know there were more people than just three, meaning Gray's group could be outnumbered.
If it weren't for the fear coursing through every vein in Gray's body, he might have softened. The group was worried about the kid, thinking they were in danger.
"You won't have any trouble from us," Laxus assured, keeping his hands raised as he took a step back. "I give you my word."
"That's not worth much nowadays, but I don't wanna spill any blood if I can help it." The man nodded at his people before looking towards the van. "Get. We won't take long."
Gray nearly gasped when the gun was lowered, but it stayed pointed in his direction. He couldn't move at first, feeling like everything crashed around him when someone grabbed his arm and dragged him away.
Dark blue eyes snapped up, seeing Laxus' cold stare as he forced them out of the station, Jet already halfway to the van by the time they reached the door. Once they hit the outside, they spotted Natsu crouched beside the building, a knife in hand and his face twisted in anger.
However, his demeanor changed as soon as Laxus shook his head, his eyes narrowing as he growled. "Don't do anything stupid. Come on."
Despite the defiant look Natsu gave, he complied, rushing over to their side as they walked towards the van. Laxus mumbled under his breath as he continued helping Gray, who lost his sense of direction as he stumbled beside him.
"This isn't where we die."
Retreating was the best option. They could have been outnumbered, and now the only weapons between them were Natsu's knives. Luckily they had a few more weapons in the van, but going back for a fight was too risky.
Even if they somehow managed to win, the sound of gunfire would surely draw unwanted attention from the undead.
"How do we know they'll keep their word?" Kagura asked after they explained their hold up, Alzack keeping his handgun pointed towards the store in case they started a fight.
"We don't," Laxus said. "But we don't have many options."
The road in front of them was blocked by cars, and the road behind them led back to Magnolia, cleared thanks to their tireless efforts over the weeks. Complying was the way to go, even if it left everyone uneasy.
Especially Gray, who couldn't get the picture of that gun out of his head even as he stared at the back of the bench in front of him. He tried focusing on the grey fibers, the little stain shaped like a flower, but it was fruitless. Every time he blinked, there it was again, that black metal staring him down.
He swallowed hard, squeezing his eyes shut as he forced himself to breathe. 'It's over. It's over. Stop thinking about it. It's over. Just stop. Just make it stop.'
He couldn't tell if he was shaking or not, his body numb yet heavy. He swore his stomach was upside down while his mind filled with static.
His eyes fluttered open when he heard Laxus say that group was leaving, his relief quickly disappearing when he wondered if they might come back at night, slaughtering them all in their sleep.
Apparently Laxus had a similar thought, voice deep as he gave them a serious decision. "If we're still planning on sleeping in there tonight, we have to do it in shifts now, just in case they decide to come back."
"I don't mind," Natsu said, followed by Kagura agreeing.
"I can take first shift," Jet offered, his tone lacking the usual confidence he held. "I don't think I'm going to sleep anytime soon after that."
Gray couldn't imagine sleeping either, terrified he may never wake up. 'I almost... I almost really di—' He gripped his thighs as hard as he could, trying to force himself out of his spiraling thoughts.
"Too bad we couldn't just get along in the beginning," Natsu said, staring out the window. Gray assumed he was watching the vehicles leave, but he didn't want to move his gaze from the seat to find out.
"You know the rules. No hostiles, no exceptions."
Even if they were leaving with no real conflict, the group could be seen as a threat. It wouldn't be worth the risk.
Everyone couldn't be saved.
Natsu sunk in his seat, muttering something about Lucy, but Gray didn't pay attention. He only cared about one thing, and that was making sure those people were long gone.
Hesitantly, Gray inched his gaze towards the window, his heartbeat pounding by the time he saw the truck stop. Two cars that had been parked in front earlier had vanished. He wondered if there were any details about the cars to let him know they were recently used.
Were the windshields cleaned off?
Was there heat coming from the engine?
He hadn't thought to check anything of the sort, assuming the only threat they would face would be the undead. He couldn't afford to have any slip ups like that again.
Next time, it might cost him his—
Gray took a ragged breath, the sound drowned out by Laxus filing out of the van before the others slowly joined him. If it hadn't been for her injuries, Gray would have been the last one out, but Kagura had difficulties keeping Millianna stable while also climbing out of the van, so Gray did his best to assist.
He was happy for the distraction, part of the burden of what they just went through lessening, but it came rushing back as soon as he was on solid ground without a thing to do.
"Bet they live somewhere down that way," Jet said, looking down a road beside the truck stop heading away from the highway. It had to lead to the nearby town, one so small it didn't even appear on the signs leading to Hargeon.
"No, they have to be passing through," Alzack started, a frown etched on his face. "If I were them, I wouldn't bring a baby on a supply run if there was a better option."
"True. Guess that makes sense."
"Let's park the van right by the entrance in case we need to make a quick exit," Laxus said, looking over his team. He was doing his best to keep them alive. It was now clear there was no such thing as being overly cautious. He swore he would make sure each person made it back to Fairy Tail.
He stopped his gaze when he reached Millianna, studying her poor condition. She remained tough, not giving in despite the obvious pain she was in. With a heavy heart, Laxus said, "Kagura, you and... Gray, go search the place for anything that can help Millianna. Get some weapons though. I doubt there are, but there may be some dead in there that they missed."
Gray's eyes narrowed as he focused on his task. He had no control moments ago, but searching for medicine was something he could do. He would tear that place apart if he had to, just to prove to himself he wasn't helpless.
"What do you want the rest of us to do?" Natsu asked, prompting their leader to grunt.
"We're going to find every drop of water and get some showers going."
Laxus looked at everyone before grimacing. "We all fucking reek."
.
.
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HELLO! This is my first update for the new decade! 2020! Woot Woot! :D
So originally this chapter was going to go in a completely different direction, but sometimes you just go with the flow, and this flow was saying 'let's hurt Gray'. Seriously though, this isn't going to be something he can just shake off. I've never been in a situation where I thought someone was going to kill me, so I had to read other's experiences for writing Gray's emotions/thought process.
Some are probably going to be disappointed that it wasn't Juvia and Gajeel that found Fairy Tail, but I couldn't bring them in yet. I've had their grand entrance planned for literally years at this point, and I don't want to rush them in just for the sake of them being there. Hang in there, they will be in the story, just when their time comes.
Thank you for all for your support! All your follows, favorites, and reviews! Shout out to those awesome people who reviewed last time: Lodemai04, Doginshoe, sofiesticated, Shonix13, SistershoOk, BeachBumBabe, Screeney, theunseengirl147, sarahelle04, shootingstarssel, Mandapandaa, FoxDragon1029, SunsetRika, CopperDragonGamr, KayRawlinson, ipromiseimnotatotaldweeb, Guest, ElementalMiko12, valerioux, Kayytrrray, dareaderreads, CrazyZaika, Meow Orbit, FlameDragonHime, CelestialDreamer15, Raquenzel, stranger1999, id74em8, CathJorda, Michiamotippete, Stavroula99, Sam, AthomeinFairytail, Wolfcry77, Guest, Xfangirl123X, Lovetoreadff, Letavia, pinkcakez(x2), Hayitsmay363, Duchixx, Guest, KayDragonide, Kitty9453, annegirl13(x2), Emoelmo41212, and Yoko Takara!
The next chapter follows this one, so no time skip. Not yet anyways. I don't wanna give anything away, but it won't be long until things are back to 'normal' for our survivors. :) Thanks for stopping by! Let me know what you think, and I'll see you next time!
Up next, Chapter Forty-Five: Relationships are overrated
(By the way, that's my current mood, lol)