It was morning when Gray finally woke from the drugged bullet Erza had shot him with the night before. He hated it when she did that to him but then again if she didn't then he would just go berserk and kill anyone who came near him. His head hurt real bad but luckily his arm had held up completely.
"Feeling better?" Erza asked after taking a sip of her morning coffee.
"No. God I feel like I have a hangover."
"Do you need some coffee?"
"Maybe a little." He went to grab a cup from the shelf and poor himself some coffee to drink. "Oh God I think that was the worse black out I've ever had because I had this awful dream where I saw-"
But he didn't get to finish his sentence because in that moment he looked over into the living room to see Juvia sleeping on the sofa. He felt his heart briefly stop and just like he did when he saw her the night before, his face made a look as if he had seen a phantom from the past. He trembled a little and his skin started to lose color.
"Gray are you alright?" Erza asked him. "You look awfully pasty."
"Who...Who is this?" He asked pointing toward the sleeping woman.
"That's Juvia, she's one the friends who I told you and Natsu about the other day. She ran into you last night and was very shook about meeting a devil. So I insisted that she stay the night."
"How did she know I was a devil?"
"I told her."
"You what?!"
"I had no choice. I needed her help in getting you back here. What was I supposed to do?"
"Lie!"
"No good. She saw your eyes, there was no way I could have convinced her that you were human."
"Was she hurt last night?"
"No."
"In that case make her leave."
"Why?"
"Well obviously she can't stay here."
"On the contrary I intended to invite her over today to discuss some business."
"But I...I don't trust this woman."
"You don't even know her and believe me if you can't trust Juvia, you can't trust anyone."
"I have a feeling in my gut that she's going to be trouble. Wake her up and make her leave now!"
"You're giving me orders?! I'm sorry but did that bullet to your head make you forget just who is the master and who is the servant here?! You do not give me orders! Or do you need a reminder of that?"
Gray huffed in frustration and then quickly composed himself.
"I'm sorry, forgive my impertinence. I just think that this woman whoever she is will make things difficult for us."
"Well that's how you feel not me. Now please make yourself scarce, I'm inviting another friend over and she will be having breakfast with me and Juvia. If they see you then I expect you to be polite and respectful and above all...Control your temper!"
Gray rolled his eyes and walked away mumbling under his breath. A few minutes later Erza's other servant arrived. He was called Natsu.
"You were supposed to come back as soon as you eliminated the target but you were gone all night. Where have you been?" She asked him.
"I was out." He answered.
"Doing what?"
"Nothing you need to worry about."
"What were you doing?" She said more sternly.
"Just getting a drink."
"Of what?"
"Why do you care?"
"Don't give me that you know why I care. You robbed the blood bank again didn't you?"
"I was thirsty."
"You can't take blood Natsu. The more blood you take the more you start to revert back to your former self. I give you all the blood you need, why do you have to take it?"
"I don't know Erza. I just can't help myself."
"And not just that but over the last few years we've had some complaints."
"Like what?"
"Property damage."
"Ah good times."
"Local butchers getting robbed and ransacked."
"Hey a guy's gotta eat."
"Dozens of people killed."
"This is war. Sometimes the innocent have to be sacrificed."
"And sexual harassment."
"That was never proven!"
"We'll talk about this later. Right now I need to get ready for Lucy and Juvia."
"Who?"
"My friends. I told you about them yesterday. Don't you two ever pay attention to anything I say?"
"Only when we find it interesting."
"Really, it's amazing how you two are centuries old and yet I'm the most mature between the three of us."
"No kidding. You've always been a stick in the mud. Even when you were a child."
Natsu glanced over at the living room to see Juvia sleeping on the sofa and just like Gray he was taken aback with disbelief when he saw her.
"What the hell?" He whispered.
"What? What is it?" Erza asked.
"Nothing...Nothing...I'm going to bed. Wake me when it's dark."
An hour later Lucy arrived to join Erza and Juvia for a friendly breakfast however Erza hadn't of prepared this breakfast to just catch up with old friends. She did it because there was a very important matter that she needed to discuss with them.
"It's so nice to see you again Erza." Lucy said. "But I have no idea where you've been all this time or what you've been doing. You're always so secretive."
"Well you'll be happy to know that today I plan to tell you all of my little secrets but first I need to ask you something?"
"What?"
"What do you know about Archibald Heartfilia."
"Not much except that he was my grandfather. He died long before I was born.
"Did you know what he did for a living?"
"He was a wealthy banker."
"Yes that's what he was during the day but his night life as I suspect was kept a secret from you and the rest of your family."
"I don't understand."
"Does this have something to do with Gray?" Juvia asked.
"Who's Gray?" Lucy asked.
"Allow me to explain." Erza said. "In 1462 a man stricken with hatred toward God became the first vampire and in that same year a devil's a long dormant power was released from within. The two monsters terrorized many lives and were driven by revenge that is until 1875 when famous vampire hunter Archibald Heartfilia staked the vampire and helped exorcists seal away the devil. Both remained in a deathlike state until they were revived in 1925 by me and now they are my servants and my secret weapon against the occult enemy."
"Occult? What is that? What are you talking about?" Lucy asked.
"I'm saying that there are things that go bump in the night Lucy and we are the ones who bump back."
"We?"
"Natsu Dragneel and Gray Fullbuster. The two most powerful and dangerous beings of the occult that have ever known on this face of the earth. One a very rebellious, impulsive, and hot tempered vampire, the other a bitter, cold, and seemingly soulless devil. When I freed them from their prisons as a child a contract was formed in which they now serve me and obey my every command until I release them from the contract."
"Wait a minute there's no such thing as a vampire." Lucy said. "I mean...What I saw last night looked like one but...No...No...No they can't be real."
"I can assure you that they are real they just keep a low profile. However nowadays it's for the best that only a select few of people know about them."
"Why are you telling us this?" Juvia asked.
"Because over the last few years Natsu and Gray having been becoming more and more difficult to control and I'm a busy woman so I can't always keep an eye of them. That's where you two come in."
"Huh?" The blonde and bluentte said in confusion.
"I have a huge favor to ask of the both of you, I need you to partner up with my servants and try to keep them under control when I'm not around."
"But why us?" Lucy asked.
"Well who better keep control of the greatest vampire than the one who slayed him or rather a direct descend of the one who slayed him."
"But I've never killed a vampire in my life."
"Good. I don't want you to kill him I want you to keep him under control."
"What makes you so sure I can do that?"
"Faith and history. Believe it or not Lucy but you do have instinct to fight and kill vampires. It'll come to you when you need it most."
"But why do you need me?" Juvia asked.
"Juvia you're not only a nun but your guardian is the top exorcist in all the world. Surely with what he has taught you, you can handle a devil." Erza explained.
"But why not ask him or someone more advanced to do it?" She asked. "He's much more skilled in exorcism than I am."
"Perhaps but I don't just need someone who is skilled in exorcism."
"I don't understand."
"Do you remember back during your school days you wrote a paper on how the church should consider trying to reform natural born devils?"
"Yes. I got an F on that paper."
"Nevertheless you still believe what you wrote right?"
"Yes but I'm not that passionate about it."
"Still you believe that natural born devils can be redeemed. Gray is a natural born devil and I need someone who can be patient and compassionate with him. Other members of the church maybe more advanced exorcists but they feel nothing but hatred and contempt for all devils, vampires, and creatures of the occult. If I had asked any of them for this they would have just killed Gray in two seconds flat."
"Still I don't know if I'm up to this." Juvia said.
"Me too." Lucy added. "I'm not even sure if this is all real. In fact I'm pretty sure that it isn't and I am just having a nervous breakdown."
Erza sighed and took another sip of her tea.
"Come with me." She told her friends calmly.
"Where are we going?" Lucy asked.
"To properly meet my boys."