*Chapter Forty-Seven: Welcome to Hargeon- Part One

(March 7th, 2018, Wednesday Noon)

Hargeon hadn't been what Natsu expected.

Zombies. Chaos. Blood. Piles of dead bodies. Those were things he thought they would find once they entered the town, but to his surprise, the area looked empty.

Picked clean would be a better way of putting it.

Through his bleary eyes Natsu could see the streets were empty, all abandoned vehicles moved to the sides of the road, making a clear path for the group's van.

"This doesn't feel right," Jet mumbled as the highway slowly morphed into a city street, businesses and neighborhoods greeting them. The place looked vacant, like everyone had cleared out months ago.

"Where are all the walkers?" Gray asked, squeezing the knife he borrowed from Natsu.

Natsu wanted to comment, but he kept his mouth closed in fear he would lose his breakfast from the motion. 'It looks bad,' he thought before his eyes shut, the man pressing his forehead against the window, relieved by the cold surface on his flushed skin.

"This is just too weird," Alzack said, the van creeping down the street. "There's cars all down the road, almost as if someone wanted to block something out."

"Or block someone in," Gray whispered before taking a ragged breath. "What if this is a trap? Why else would someone go through all this trouble?"

"I'm not so sure it's a trap," Kagura weighed in as Millianna rested against her shoulder, the girl taking shallow breaths. "If it was, I'm sure the side roads would be blocked as well."

Natsu blinked, noticing what she meant. They had the option of turning down streets if they chose, but they continued forward towards the heart of the town. They had no idea where Gildarts was, but their best bet was going to the naval base to start their search.

If anything was left alive in Hargeon, it had to be there.

Natsu squinted when he saw a poster displayed inside a car's windshield reading, "Welcome to Hargeon!" It gave Natsu some concern, but not as much as his best friend.

"We should slow down," Gray said, as if they weren't going ten miles an hour. He gripped the knife, knuckles turning white and blade shaking. "Please?"

Natsu wanted to reassure Gray they were alright, but he couldn't. Not only did he not have the strength, he wasn't certain himself.

"It feels like the cars are moving inward," Jet said, each car on either side parked inches closer into the street as they moved along. A quarter mile later, the road was completely blocked by a makeshift gate.

"We should turn around," Gray said, the man failing to hide the panic in his voice.

"There's a sign," Alzack spoke up, parking the van a few cars away from the gate. "Does someone want to volunteer to read it, or will someone take over the wheel so I can?"

"Can't turn around here anyways," Jet started, pulling his hair into a ponytail. "I'm the fastest, so I can read it. Just make sure you cover me."

Natsu heard the hitch in Gray's breath, his mind slowly clearing now that they weren't moving. He reached over, hand resting on his friend's tense shoulder. "Hey," he whispered, stomach trying to settle itself as he shifted into an upright position. "You okay?"

Gray didn't answer, eyes fixated on Jet as he exited the vehicle. Alzack had a handgun out, resting against the wheel of the car as he rolled the window down.

Jet sprinted towards the sign as soon as he closed his door behind him, everyone waiting with bated breath as his head slowly fell as he read. Natsu swore his stomach dropped when Jet stumbled back, hand on his chest.

At first glance, it appeared Jet had been injured, stunned from pain. However, instead of crying out, an unreal laugh came from the man before he ran back to the van, a huge smile on his face. Natsu swore he hadn't seen a smile that large since leaving Fairy Tail.

"Guys! Guys! Holy crap!"

"What is it?" Laxus asked as soon as Kagura opened the door.

Jet didn't enter, merely sticking his head in as he said, "You're never gonna believe it!"

"Try us," Laxus said, irritation coloring his tone.

Natsu couldn't blame him. He didn't know if he needed to be on guard or not, his blood pumping quickly as he waited for an explanation to Jet's sudden mood shift.

"They have food! And water! And meat!"

"Meat?" Natsu's eyes widened as he perked up, recovering in an instant. "Did you say meat?"

Jet nodded, his eyes bright with mirth. "Yeah! The sign says they have all kinds of fish and seafood! We just have to show them we're not a threat when we get to the naval base, then they'll feed us!"

"How do we show we're not a threat?" Kagura asked cautiously.

Natsu's chest tightened at Jet's answer, not liking it one bit.

"We have to surrender our weapons when we get there, then they'll feed us."

Natsu scanned everyone's faces, needing to see what they thought. Laxus and Alzack seemed conflicted while Kagura shook her head. Gray was the most vocal, knife almost digging into the cushion beside his leg as he seethed. "No. No way, no! That's obviously a trap and we're not stupid enough to fall for it."

Gray looked at Laxus, expecting back up, but he was met with hesitation. "You... you can't seriously be considering this? It's a trap! It has to be!"

"They have meat," Natsu mumbled, his hopes raised at the mention of fish. It wasn't his favorite dish, but it beat the hell out of vegetables.

"The only meat they'll have is our bodies if we go in unarmed and unprotected." Gray narrowed his eyes, looking back and forth between the others. "Or, worse. They'll feed us, but it'll be poisoned. I'm not doing it," he said, shaking his head. "I'm not dying today. No."

"Gray—" Natsu started, cutting himself off when Gray gave him a sharp look.

While he understood Gray's concerns, he had to think rationally. They were planning on going to Hargeon anyway. What the people at the base were asking wasn't so farfetched. Even at Fairy Tail they didn't trust just anyone walking around with weapons.

Why was it so crazy for Hargeon to ask the same?

Still, it did leave knots in Natsu's stomach. Giving up his weapons wasn't an option. He couldn't risk losing them. Not only were they crucial to his survival, they were family heirlooms.

He couldn't surrender them, but he also knew they needed help.

Hargeon was a big town, and if there were survivors at the base, there was a good chance they knew where to find Gildarts.

Laxus must have been thinking the same thing, letting out a sigh before opening his door. "I'm going to read the sign myself."

"Me too!" Natsu shouted, eager to get out of the van before Laxus could tell them to stay put.

"Fucking idiots," Gray muttered as Natsu passed by, his body stiff and breathing labored. "You're going to get us all killed."

Natsu frowned, unsure how to defuse the situation. His first instinct was to tease, but he knew it wasn't the time. No one could blame Gray for his attitude. After being held at gunpoint, Natsu knew Gray had zero trust in strangers.

However, despite knowing why Gray felt that way, he wasn't as guarded.

Natsu was an optimist by heart, and after he read the sign for himself, he had to admit he was sold on the idea.

The only problem was going to be getting the others to agree.

"We have to go," Natsu said, looking up at Laxus, who was rereading the sign.

"It sounds too good to be true." Laxus covered his mouth with his palm as his brows furrowed. After a moment, he dropped his hand and sighed. "While free food is very tempting, Gray has a point. It could be a trap."

"I get that," Natsu started, sympathetic towards his friend's pain. "But at the same time, I don't want to automatically assume the worst. I mean, Fairy Tail has a ton of good people, right?"

When Laxus nodded, Natsu continued. "So then why's it so hard to believe there's other good people out there too?" He almost drooled as he added, "Who have meat?"

Laxus almost snorted, head tilting back to peer at the sky. Judging by how high the sun was, they were halfway through their daylight. According to the sign, Hargeon's naval base was twenty-seven miles away.

Walking wasn't an option if they hoped to arrive before nightfall, and it was apparent they weren't going to get away with using the van since Gray wasn't okay with proceeding. If one disagreed, it was possible others did too. Plus, it wasn't wise bringing Millianna with them, just in case it was a trap.

"It says we can use those bikes," Laxus said, glancing at the six bicycles on the other side of the gate. "How about we do a small team. You and me. We tell the others if we don't come back after twenty-four hours, to assume the worst and decide if they want to try to help. Alzack only has so many bullets, and I'm sure they're well-armed at a military base. There's a chance we don't make it out, but..."

"But there's a chance this is a good thing," Natsu finished, determination shining in his emerald eyes.

They said the word 'hope' a few too many times, but maybe it would finally pay off.

"I don't get motion sick if I ride. You?"

"Nope. Only on vehicles," Natsu said, eyeing the bikes. His eyes flitted to the gate, seeing the latches were easy for a human to undo, but it would keep a zombie out.

"You know we're going to have to follow their rules," Laxus said, hand moving to rest on the machete attached to his belt. "Don't know about you, but I'm not letting them take our few weapons."

"Leave them here just in case?" Natsu asked, earning a nod. "Okay."

Natsu took a deep breath, arms numb at the thought of going in unarmed, but they couldn't surrender anymore weapons after their last encounter with strangers. Like food, shelter, and water, weapons were a necessity for surviving.

"I really feel like this is a good idea," Natsu said, eyes raking over the sign once more before looking at Laxus. "What about you?"

"Honestly? I'm not sure, but it's been what, twenty days since we left Fairy Tail?"

"Today makes twenty-one," Natsu said, shoulders falling at the realization. Three weeks away from home. He wanted to get their mission over with so he could go back. If that meant taking a few risks, he was up for it.

"Fuck, that's way too long." Laxus shook his head before reaching for his waist. His weapon went slack when he unbuckled his belt. "I'm ready to see what's at that naval base." He turned towards the van, prepared to execute their poorly thought-out plan. "Let's go."

"There's another one," Natsu said as they rode down the street, cars still blocking either side. They could only go backwards or forwards, restricting their escape if things went sideways.

Seeing humans should have been a comforting sight, especially when a few of them gave a friendly wave, but it filled Natsu with anxiety every time he saw a guard positioned around them. They made no effort to stop Laxus or Natsu, and neither man made any attempt to speak to them.

They followed the directions on the original sign, which stated they needed to proceed to the base without stopping. Even if they chose not to engage with the people at the base and wanted to pass through Hargeon with no human contact, they still couldn't loiter on the road.

It didn't say what the consequences would be if they disobeyed, but neither of them planned to find out.

"Still think this is a good idea?" Laxus asked a minute after they passed the guard, noting the man speaking into a radio, probably alerting others of their arrival.

"Kinda," Natsu muttered, wondering if Gray was right. Maybe they were walking into a trap. Aside from the obvious of wanting to live, Natsu hoped Gray was wrong so he could rub it in his face. However, even that thought wasn't enough to settle the uneasiness spreading through him when he saw yet another guard, wearing what looked to be an automatic rifle.

Natsu took a steady breath, coaxing himself not to get sick. The motion from the bicycle didn't bother him, but the uncertainty they faced had him rattled. They had no weapons, no way of communicating with their friends.

It was just Natsu and Laxus, facing the unknown head on.

A small comfort was the chill in the air. While Natsu preferred warmth, the cold kept him grounded and more focused.

The buildings around them soon came to an end as the naval base entered their vision, one last stretch of road separating them. Before his stomach could do a flip, Natsu's eyes fell on a white square to his left up ahead.

Less than a minute later, Natsu's eyes widened, realizing it was another sign for them. As silly as it seemed, the messages calmed him a little. If the people at Hargeon were trying to lower their guard so it was easier to harm them, they were going the extra mile.

If you wish to enter, park in the designated spots marked ahead at the base. If you wish to pass through, curve to the left here and we won't bother you.

When Laxus slowed, Natsu followed suit, the two stopping when they reached the fork in the road by the sign. The cars still lined the paths, one road continuing forward while another opened to the left. Natsu could see it went wide before disappearing on the side of the base.

"Last chance to turn back," Laxus said, glancing at Natsu.

While warnings bells went off in Natsu's head, he couldn't shake the need to go forward. They had made it that far, had survived horrific things that Natsu never would have imagined in his wildest nightmares before the outbreak occurred.

They were moments away from reaching the base, and Natsu didn't want to stop.

"I'm all in."

Laxus stared him over for a moment before giving a firm nod. The two looked back to the road, both kicking off the ground before riding the rest of the way to the base.

Some aspects Natsu expected, while others were a surprise. He figured there would be more guards, because even Fairy Tail had guards, and they were currently riding up to a military base. However, it didn't look the same as it had when Natsu visited three years ago for a field trip with his JROTC class.

Instead of the three open lanes where vehicles would drive through to be checked in, two were barricaded with bricks, making them unusable. One lane remained open, but it was blocked by a metal door. It reminded him of the one in 'The Walking Dead' at Alexandria, but that thought quickly faded when he wondered how strong it was.

If Natsu had to guess, he would say a vehicle going fast enough could tear down the metal door, but anyone who did so would be a fool. A place like that had to have some contingency plans in place. There were probably armed guards on the other side, ready to defend the place until their last breaths.

Natsu's guessing game came to an end when the metal door swung inward, two people stepping through before it closed.

Without exchanging a word, Laxus and Natsu rode up to the parking spots marked for guests. Natsu let one foot rest on the ground while gripping the handles far past what was comfortable, ready to go at a moment's notice. They were beyond vulnerable, but from the looks of the two individuals heading their way, they seemed unprotected as well.

'They don't really need protection,' Natsu thought, counting at least five guards surrounding the area. He assumed they were like cockroaches. For every one he saw, there were more in hiding.

Once the two got close enough that Natsu could make out facial features, he panicked. For a single moment, he thought they were facing their end. All the woman did was smile, but he contorted it in his mind, his imagination running wild as he heard Gray's voice in the back of his head, mocking him.

"You'll be flies walking right into the spider's web!"

However, there was nothing sinister about the woman's smile, her voice warm and cheerful as she said, "Welcome! Welcome! We're glad you made it!"

Natsu almost let go of his bike, stunned by the sudden hospitality. He couldn't take his eyes off them to see how Laxus reacted, unable to trust them.

It seemed they had similar thoughts, the man continuing to walk towards them while the woman stopped one parking space away. "I'm sure you already know we'll need you to surrender your weapons before proceeding."

"Didn't bring any," Laxus said, stepping off his bike. Natsu did the same, holding his hands away from his body to show he wasn't carrying anything.

"Hope you understand, but I have to check to be sure."

Natsu stole a glance at Laxus, wanting to see the calm determination that seemed to live in his eyes. However, all Natsu could fixate on was the way Laxus' throat bobbed as he swallowed, his fearless leader worried about their situation.

A sinking feeling pulled at Natsu's gut, realizing they were actually putting their lives in the hands of strangers. It wouldn't be difficult to kill Laxus or him. A single bullet to the back of the head would do the trick, but to Natsu's great relief, the only pressure he felt on his body were hands lightly patting over his clothes, making sure he wasn't carrying anything dangerous.

"They're good," the man said, stepping back while the woman approached, hands clasped in front of her.

"Great! I'm Mickey Chickentiger by the way, and this is Krov."

Natsu barely noticed the man waving, wondering how her last name was possibly Chickentiger. 'It could be she changed it after the outbreak, just like Lucy's now going by Dragneel?'

Laxus responded for them, gesturing between himself and Natsu as he introduced themselves.

Mickey nodded, pulling out a small notepad and pen. "We're glad to see more survivors. I hope you stick around longer than the last ones."

Natsu's eyes widened as he flinched, giving away his concern for what she meant. Krov must have realized it, shaking his head as he chastised the woman.

"You really shouldn't word it like that. It sounds super suspicious."

Mickey's eyes widened before she flushed. "Oh, I guess that does sound sort of creepy."

"We should probably just address the elephant in the room," Krov started, doing his best to ease Natsu and Laxus' growing concerns. "We're worried about you just as much as you're worried about us, but this world isn't going to rebuild itself if we can't establish trust somewhere."

While Natsu knew he should have taken every word Krov said seriously, he couldn't help but lose focus every time he glanced at Krov's buck teeth. Everything else about the man seemed average, making his teeth his predominant feature.

Mickey nodded, the woman stealing Natsu's attention. "Our ultimate, collective goal, is to restore mankind back to the way it was before we all become extinct. And we can't do that alone, so we need as much help as possible."

They grew silent, waiting for Natsu or Laxus to say something. Laxus took the lead, curiosity setting in. "What happened to make the last people leave early?"

"It's nothing bad." Mickey smiled, but it didn't ease Natsu's concerns. "I can only imagine what you're thinking, but it's not anything heinous. We just weren't able to help them like they wanted, so they left after a day."

Instead of telling them they had no intentions on staying at Hargeon, Laxus asked, "Can I ask how they wanted help?"

Natsu almost nodded, but he was now focused on his surroundings. His guard was up, but it lowered with every moment of safety that passed. If the people at Hargeon wanted them dead, they could have killed them by now.

'Unless they're worried we have more people in our group, and they're waiting to see if we're alone or not?'

Natsu almost groused at his thoughts, wishing he could relax. The lack of communication with their friends was the worst part of the situation. Going in unarmed was bad enough, but the fact that they were truly alone kept Natsu more grounded than anything.

"They wanted us to give their child medical attention, but we weren't able to." The man's voice stayed firm, but Natsu could detect the confliction in his tone. "The baby had a rare genetic disorder. "It's called Zell... Zegwager?"

"Zellweger Syndrome," Mickey finished for him. "Our doctors said the chances of her surviving were far too low, and we couldn't risk the resources trying to fight a losing battle."

Before anyone could say anything, Mickey added, "Patients usually don't even make it to a year old, so, unfortunately our doctor's had to deny care for their child. We told them they could stay anyways, but they refused and left."

Mickey looked back at Krov before he took over. "We want to help. We really do. That's why we're trying to rebuild society, but we have to be realistic. Not everyone's going to make it, which means we can't waste resources. If you don't agree, that's fine. We would still like to help and possibly receive help if you're willing. Even trading knowledge can go a long way."

They stopped there, allowing Natsu and Laxus to gather their thoughts. Natsu recalled the situation at Fairy Tail with Emma, where they were sure a mother killed her baby girl. It could be seen as a mercy killing since the child suffered from respiratory issues, but back then Natsu had thought there was no excuse for taking a life.

Hearing a similar story had Natsu wondering if he had the right to judge. If there was no hope, then wasn't it kinder to end the suffering? And if there was no hope, wasn't it better to put precious resources towards people who stood a better chance of surviving?

While it seemed easier to accept the inaction to help verses taking a life, it produced the same outcome. Natsu couldn't deny he had a hard time accepting it, but the logic behind the decision tipped the scales in the end.

Things were not black and white anymore. Was it better to refuse treatment for a lost cause? In that case, it wasn't Natsu's call, and he hated the part of him that rejoiced in that fact.

He didn't want that type of responsibility. That weight and burden could rest on someone else's shoulders.

"It's your decision what you do with your supplies," Laxus said, answering for both of them.

Natsu nodded, voice almost breaking as he wondered if he needed to talk loud enough for the surrounding guards to hear as well, or if Mickey and Krov were their only audience. "I get it, kinda." He didn't know how to word it, falling short. "It's your policies or whatever, umm—"

When he allowed his mind to think about doctors and hospitals and medical supplies, a face popped into his head as well. However, before he could ask, Laxus beat him to it.

"We have a girl with us. She's badly hurt and could use some real help."

As Mickey glanced down the road they came from, Laxus shook his head. "We have more people, miles back."

Natsu noted he didn't mention where their group was hiding. The less they revealed the better, at least until they knew if they were safe.

"She's still hanging in there, but she has an infection," Laxus said, tone serious despite his stomach growling. It wasn't an uncommon thing to hear, but it could be distracting at times. "I'm sure some antibiotics are all she needs to recover, but it's been hard giving them to her consistently. We're using whatever we can find."

Krov raised a brow before jerking a thumb behind him, pointing towards the base. "We have antibiotics. If the doctor's approve her, they can start treatment immediately."

"If?" Laxus asked, unable or unwilling to stop his forehead from creasing as his brows furrowed, not liking that answer.

Natsu couldn't blame him, body tense as he thought about the undeserved claw marks on Millianna's stomach. No one could have predicted a bear would attack them, but part of it was their fault as well.

They should have turned around that moment and gone back to Fairy Tail. They put her at risk by ignoring the obvious and proceeding towards Hargeon regardless. To be fair, Millianna had her own part to play in it, refusing to go back by saying she was fine.

She was not fine. Every day she got a little worse, and if they kept putting her health on the back burner, she wasn't going to make it back to Fairy Tail alive.

So when Krov implied there was a chance Millianna could be rejected, it had Natsu fired up too.

"Well, yeah," Krov said softly, trying to defuse the situation created by Laxus' reaction. "I know that's not what you want to hear. Trust me when I say I get it. I got into an accident last month and instead of giving me stitches like a normal hospital would have, they gave me a butterfly bandage and some Tylenol and called it a day."

Krov pushed some of the hair around his widow's peak aside to show a scar. "It left a mark, but the doctor's ended up being right. It would have been a waste of resources to stitch me up. I had to accept their decision just like you'll have to accept it too."

Mickey spoke up, drawing all eyes. "We have to do what's best for mankind in the long run, which means minimal waste and maximum use out of everything we get. Which is actually where we were supposed to start with our introductions before we got carried away."

She cleared her throat before flipping to a page on her notepad. "Okay. Welcome to Hargeon, yada dada dada, rebuild mankind. Okay, we'll start here." Her eyes flitted to Laxus and Natsu before reading from her notepad.

"Basically we need to know what you'd like to get out of a relationship with Hargeon and what we can get out of you. Are you interested in taking up residence with us, or do you have a settlement somewhere else?"

Laxus hesitated, slowly releasing the tension in his shoulders before muttering, "We have a home."

Mickey nodded before skipping to another note. "Alright. Are you interested in trading? We have plenty of fish, and some medical supplies, but we lack some things, like crops. Nothing seems to take to our soil. We trade with a few communities nearby, but our goal is to expand and rebuild civilization, which means helping each other out as much as possible, as long as it's beneficial for the greater good."

"We have crops," Natsu offered, peeking at Laxus to make sure he wasn't giving away too much. When Laxus didn't look concerned, Natsu continued. "We have a doctor, but not a lot of medicine type stuff. Our hospital is overrun."

"That's unfortunate. It took us a while, but reaching the civilian hospital was a priority for us." She gestured around them before adding, "We have a hospital on base, but we now have access to Hargeon's hospital as well. There's a few cleared paths, but we want to go much further, which has me curious..."

She smiled before nodding towards the road they came down. "Did you two happen to come from Magnolia? Or perhaps further up? Like Onibus? Or hopefully further than that?"

Before Natsu could answer, Laxus spoke up, letting him know it was time to stop giving away information so easily. "Why do you ask?"

Mickey didn't seem offended by his caution. If Natsu had to guess, she was used to it. "Clearing a path to Clover Town is one of our ultimate goals since it's where some oil fields and a refinery are, and if you two came down that path, there's a good chance you were somewhere near there?"

Laxus thought for a moment, choosing his words carefully. "In that direction, yes, but not that far up."

Nodding, Mickey grinned. "Well, that's certainly a start! Maybe when we go for Clover Town, you would be willing to give us a hand? We'll split resources of course. And—"

She blinked before cupping the back of her neck, letting out a laugh. "I'm getting way ahead of myself. I don't even know if you're in charge at your settlement." She raised a finger when Laxus clenched his teeth. "No need to answer. I can see you're concerned and need to build trust, and that's perfectly fine."

"We should really get on with the rest of the introduction," Krov said, causing her to nod. "Alright, you two ready to come in?"

The tension that seemed to have disappeared came back at full force, Natsu's stomach filling with dread as he glanced at the metal door. If things went south now, they had a slim chance of running away. However, once they went past that barricade, they were trapped.

'Like shooting fish in a barrel.'

Natsu couldn't speak, too focused on the unknown while Laxus recalled their mission.

The reason they were away from Fairy Tail in the first place.

"Before we do anything else, I need to ask. We're looking for our friend. Last we heard he was heading to Hargeon. Perhaps you've seen him?"

"Maybe?" Mickey said, tilting her head an inch. "He have a name?"

"Gildarts."

Mickey's eyes widened while a soft blush spread over her face. Krov's eyes on the other hand rolled at the mention of the name. He muttered, "Yeah, we got a Gildarts in here."

Despite wanting to celebrate, Natsu wasn't convinced Gildarts was truly in there. Laxus must have felt wary too.

"Could you describe him?" Laxus asked, only for Krov to scoff, his mood changing suddenly.

"Sure. He's a dirty old man who can't keep his filthy hands to himself."

While Natsu raised a brow, Mickey turned to Krov, trying to calm him down. She failed, her words only seeming to aggravate him. "He's not old, and he's not that bad. Harmless, really."

Krov grumbled under his breath before crossing his arms over his chest. "Harmless my ass. Guy's an asshole if you ask me. Flirts with every girl in sight, even the married ones."

Natsu and Laxus spared a glance at each other, unsure what they were witnessing. They listened as the two debated before Laxus cleared his throat, interrupting them.

"Could you describe him better? Physically?" Laxus asked, causing Mickey to nod.

"Tall, muscular," she started, Krov shaking his head behind her. "I can't say he has red hair, because it's more orange than anything. Maybe a little brown in there, hard to tell. His eyes are dark and mysterious though. He has some stubble now, but last I heard he planned on growing a beard."

It took a minute, but Natsu realized what was going on. Mickey had a crush on Gildarts. He had always been popular with the ladies, even if he was rough around the edges.

If it truly was their Gildarts there... well, then that meant their mission was coming to an end.

However, things were unfolding quite differently than Natsu thought. Part of him was ready to learn more about Hargeon's base and see how he could help while the other, stronger part of him, wanted to get out of there and away from the potential danger.

"He's clumsy as hell when he's drunk. Breaks everything he touches," Krov felt the need to mention. "He's got a fake arm too."

Natsu jolted at that, Laxus rattled as well.

"Give us a minute," Laxus said, holding up a finger before nodding for Natsu to follow him away from the two. When they were just out of earshot, Laxus said, "I don't know what to think. It sounds like Gildarts except for the missing limb part."

"Maybe he got into trouble on his way here?" Natsu frowned, wishing Gildarts had never left in the first place. "If it really is him though, why hasn't he come back yet?"

"That's a good point." Laxus narrowed his eyes, forehead wrinkling. "I suppose if it's really him, we can ask him that ourselves. It may have something to do with his missing arm... If it's really him, that is."

"So, we're gonna do it?" Natsu asked, resisting the urge to peek at Mickey and Krov. He could feel their eyes on the back of his head, but he remained still.

"It's stupid, but yeah. I think we should see this through. I'm not getting any murder vibes off those two, but you never know what people are capable of."

Natsu thought of Ivan, wondering if that was who Laxus had in mind. He pushed aside that theory, knowing there were more pressing issues. "I don't think it's a trap," Natsu said, his stomach at ease for the most part, but he couldn't deny it was possible they were being too reckless.

"If it is, it's a good one."

Free food, offering help, having their friend behind their walls. It all seemed too good to be true.

"They could have met Gildarts, killed him, and just made it sound like he's alive to get us in there," Laxus whispered before shaking his head. "But honestly, if they wanted to kill us, they could do it without all the trickery. There's two guns pointed at us right now."

"Unless they want something else out of us," Natsu said, shivering at the thought. "They could want to make us prisoners and work for them. Get some free labor. Or maybe make us sex slaves?"

Laxus raised a brow while Natsu shrugged. "What? It could happen."

Instead of telling Natsu he was being ridiculous, Laxus gave a slow nod. "True, but..."

"It feels safe," Natsu said, wanting to believe they had caught a break. "I'm still in, if you are."

Laxus held Natsu's stare for a moment before walking back towards Mickey and Krov, Natsu a few steps behind him. "Alright. We'd like to proceed, or whatever."

"Great!" Mickey clapped, excitement coloring her features. "We'll give you a tour, then you can see your friend." She started turning before stopping herself. "You'll want to bring those bikes. It'll help speed things along."

While Natsu felt right about their decision to see it through, he couldn't deny the jerk in his stomach when he looked at the entrance again.

When entering Hargeon's base became an immediate reality, Natsu hesitated. He waited for Laxus to make the first move before following, reminding himself to control his breathing as they neared the metal door. It didn't help, his heartbeat steadily picking up with every step.

'One, two, three, inhale. One, two, three, exhale. It's okay. You're not going to get murdered. Just keep breathing. One, two three—'

Natsu took a shaky breath when the door opened, the whine from the hinges loud before it came to a stop. Mickey and Krov slipped through the small gap first, leaving Natsu and Laxus on the other side.

'This is it,' Natsu thought as Laxus disappeared, their last chance at escaping dissolving as Natsu moved forward, passing through the gate to enter the base.

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So this chapter was getting too long and honestly, was too much of an information dump (especially in the next part). So, I split this into two parts so it's easier to absorb the information, because with new communities and people it's going to get a little confusing. Also, Mickey Chickentiger and Krov are Fairy Tail characters that don't get much attention. Since there's not a lot known about them, it's easy to mold them to whatever position I need them to be in for writing, lol.

This story hit its three year anniversary this month! (April 2020) I wish I could have posted on the actual day, but you know, life happens. Been super busy at work due to COVID-19.

Thank you so much for you support! I'm amazed by all the favorites and followers for this story! Shout out to those awesome people who reviewed last time: stranger1999, Lodemai04, BB-Salamander, valerioux, Unicorn20023, KayRawlinson, Raquenzel, shootingstarssel, Doginshoe, FlameDragonHime, Meow Orbit, Mandapandaa, sthokat, HoshiKirari, Natsuko457, Screeney, HollyNinetales, dareaderreads, Guest, Sam, ToukaKaneki. Ulle, annegirl13, Duchixx, Bay, ElementalMiko12, Kleiho, reindeerpoop11, Lady Otaku bish, Guest, ReynaSofy997, Xfangirl123X, Smartyul, ms. annelily, Kitty9453(x3), CathJorda, Guest, Danielle334, sky0fincandescence, Guest, theunicorn22, and annegirl13!

Let me know what you thought of this chapter! Or of the Hargeon's base so far! Also, if you have tips or theories for real zombie apocalypses, I'm all ears! I actually ask most of the people I talk to what they would do in that situation to gather more ideas. (This is half a story, half me trying to collect information on how to survive if it actually happens, haha)

Research/References I used for this chapter:

There are different types of motion sickness. Some people get sick from being passengers while able to drive fine without any issues, and some only get motion sick in certain types of vehicles, like cars. In this case, Laxus and Natsu both get sick as passengers, not as sick as drivers in vehicles, and not sick at all when riding bicycles.

Zellweger Syndrome is a real disease. A coworker of mine had two grandchildren who both died from it since her son and her son's girlfriend are both carriers of the disease. One baby died after a few months, the other didn't last more than a few weeks. It's very rare and right now there is no cure for it, which is why the Hargeon doctor's couldn't risk using medical supplies when there was no chance of saving the child.

I will be basing Hargeon's naval base off of a combination between Camp Pendleton, CA and Camp Lejeune, NC since those are the bases I'm familiar with. It won't go into incredible detail because more detail isn't always necessary and can make a story harder/more boring to read. Just wanted to mention where the inspiration is coming from in case anyone was wondering.

When I was younger, my dad got hit in the head with a glass bottle (my cousin threw it to him while he was in the pool and he didn't catch it). Instead of going to the hospital and getting stitches like he definitely should have, my grandma (his mom) slapped a bandaid on him and called it a day. I remember after that we even went to a movie but he had to leave halfway through because he had a headache. I was supposed to get stitches as well when I was younger, but I struggled and they settled with bandaging my eye up instead. I have a scar now, but I don't notice it since it's been there forever.

Anyways, thank you so much for reading! Tell me your thoughts, and I hope you have an awesome day/night! See you soon!

Up next, Chapter Forty-Eight: Welcome to Hargeon- Part Two