Author Notes:
Warnings: Swearing - Sexual themes/Content.
Genre, in depth: Male/Male Romance, also known as, Yaoi.
Story Cover Art: The Amazing Astrovique.
Beta Reader: The one and only enjoys literature.
Disclaimer: Dear reader, I'm not the owner of Fairy Tail's characters. If they were mine, Gray and Natsu would be boyfriends.
O.o.O Chapter Twenty O.o.O
Time Remaining:
1:00:50
"Hand me that, will you?"
"Yes!"
Initially, Gray abandoned politeness with Levy McGarden to see how far she could go without breaking down like females do, but yeah, it wasn't going so well. She was useful, efficient, accepted his commands with diligence, and he marveled her efforts. Despite the ruckus resonating in the military base, they tuned it out, accelerated their speed to finish the job, and Gray was no longer concerned by the sound of detonation.
That fucking deadline and Gildarts Clive's glower horrified him and the girl to death.
"BRATS! We have no time for errors and you burned a fuse?"
"It was her fault!" Gray attempted to save his life.
"The hell it was!" She yelled with flushed cheeks, "We both know how it was burned, don't you dare!"
"Oh yeah genius?!" Gray slammed his hand on the table, "Who read the plans and told me where to cut?!"
"Don't pin this on me! I said I was a fast learner, but there're limits! Also, you were the one who forgot to put the insulation or was it my imaginary father who did?!"
"I don't care who did what! Fix the fucking fuse!"
Gray and the girl quivered and resumed work like their lives depended on it.
Major Laxus Dreyar, followed by Lieutenant Freed, Sergeant Sting, Gajeel, Loke, and Erza entered their study room. The sudden invasion has made Gray curious, but he didn't have the time to question it.
"Good news and bad news."
"Good first!" Gildarts demanded.
"The Drones, truck, and other two prototypes are here."
Gildarts tossed himself on the office chair and bumped his fist in the air. "YES!" He laughed, "Thank god. Your bad news aren't gonna faze me."
"YOU BETTER BE FAZED!" Gajeel yelled, stomping, "WE'RE ALL DEAD!"
Time Remaining:
00:20:50
Because Gray and Levy didn't have the luxury of abandoning their duty, Major Laxus held a brief meeting in the study room, involving the three teams and Natsu.
"Four Christina Bomber ships were stolen by the enemy."
Most of the team members stopped blinking. They didn't move or speak too. But Erza's mouth was open, and her eyes were wide. And if the news horrified "Erza", he should take it seriously and pay attention.
Christina?
"WHAT?" Erza paled, her jaw dropping.
"Are… you…?" Loke couldn't finish off his sentence.
"This has to be verified! Otherwise we're all dead!" Came Sting's positive comment.
There was no chance in hell Natsu knew what is Christina bomber, but hearing them talk about it brought deep concern on his features… because it was the unknown.
"Sergeant Sting," Laxus's expression tightened more than it already is, "When did I ever throw rumors around?"
Sting paled and gave his usual half-assed stiff bow, "Apologies."
Dismissing the rude Sergeant from his cone of vision, Laxus directed his talk to Gildarts's team (Gray and Levy), "Christina Bomber is a battle airship equipped with a Jupiter cannon which can annihilate all of us in mere seconds. Even less. The enemy has now FOUR. The General himself is leading a fleet from the headquarters."
"Jupiter…?" Gildarts mouth dropped open, "I… have heard nothing about this! Do you still keep those things here? Didn't I warn against it? For god's sake, you stupid people!" His ex-boss pinched the bridge of his nose, "How on earth were they stolen?!"
"I don't know." Laxus lost control over his composure, "But it sure isn't the time to dwell on this!"
"Shit…" Erza trembled, "Shit, Jupiter?"
"And four of them to boot…" Loke chuckled, "We'll be eradicated from the map…"
"That's not the only problem. There were riots in the internment camp two hours ago, and now we know criminals have broken out. The general activated the alarm, and everyone is evacuating the base. We're evacuating in 5 minutes. Gather everything you were working on and out!"
"HUH?" Gray almost tripped, "We're still working here!"
"Captain." Laxus acknowledged Lucy, "I'll leave the civilian under your care."
"Ah." She straightened herself, "Yes!"
She pulled clueless Natsu away before he can protest and called out her team, evacuating the Unit. Laxus Dreyar forced an immediate evacuation that every creature (including ants) had to comply with.
Outside Unit 8, four armed SUVs queued, a specialized heavy tactical truck/tractor, dozens of missile launching trucks waited for the fifteen and more individuals to evacuate and lead the way. A good number of militants helped push the weapon/converted artillery/Vance onto a partial carriage that transferred it to the tactical truck.
Gray wished to have time to digest the situation, but he wasn't that fortunate.
He got in the tactical tractor with Levy, Gildarts, Erza and Laxus.
Natsu was away from him in one of the lighter SUV's, and it bugged him. He didn't even get the chance to say anything to the pink haired before they went separate ways.
"Drive!" Laxus ordered and Erza complied, driving the heavy tactical tractor. Loke followed her lead, driving one of the lighter SUVs, and he aligned with Erza on the right side. To her Left, Sergeant Mirajane Strauss drove like a devil from hell, and in front of them came Lieutenant Freed Justine, while behind them Captain Lucy Heartfilia.
Other military individuals/newcomers drove the missile launching trucks and followed their backs to protect it.
'This is fucking heavy.'
Was this War? The whole predicament unnerved him, and who wouldn't be? Was that fucking Jupiter Cannon such a badass for the entire base to panic?
"We're not engaging ourselves in any way unless the situation demands it, am I clear?" Major Laxus Dreyar wasn't only communicating with his teams the message, but also Gildarts Clive's one.
"Got you." Gildarts nodded, working with the screen.
"When is the Fleet reaching? Estimated—do we have an estimated time, General?"
"Major, hold up twenty minutes."
Hibiki appeared on one of the thousand monitors in the back of the tractor. Laxus communicated with driving Erza through earphones and the other team members in the SUVs.
Gray's surprise at hearing Hibiki's voice through his own headset didn't stop him from focusing on his own screen of work. He had to adjust Vance's programming, and since Gray had no expertise in drones, he left Gildarts and Levy to activate all of them. He conceded that disastrous events were guaranteed to happen in case he involved himself.
"Sergeant Laxus! Where're we going?!" Lucy sounded frantic.
"Since we can't approach the northern zone's exit, we're heading to the southern gate. Aim there! I released the order to open the gates. Hopefully, we'll have backup in time."
Gildarts sat in front of a screen with a program running and activated the drones to fly from the Unit 8. They shaped a star on top of the vehicles they were set to follow.
"Hey big head!" Gildarts jumped in the conversation.
Laxus twitched, but wasn't able to get back at Gildarts then.
"Drones detected air activity closing up on us."
Laxus's yellow orbs hardened and cussed.
"TEAM! RUN 200!"
"Major, we're engaging ourselves now."
Gray's tapping on the keyboard of Vance halted the minute Gildarts declared that fact. How did he even…? Major Laxus Dreyar replied with a faint nod and hold up, wait a sec. Since when did Gildarts's word overrule the Major's?
"Great." Gildarts smiled and Gray hated it, "Brats, get this thing ready."
"Gray. I don't know if this will work…" Levy whispered, "I'm… scared."
Gray had sweat on his forehead… the pressure… the pressure. His hands were sweaty, and he gritted his teeth to stop shaking.
"It will." Gray hissed, "It has to!"
Upon gazing at the drone's monitor, his mouth opened, and his breath hardened.
Christina Bomber was an airship designed for death, nothing else. The exterior of it was darkness, the size of it covered an entire complex of buildings, and its wings rained blue death blasts.
"They're catching up! THEY'RE CATCHING UP!" Lucy yelled and drove faster to be in line with Mirajane. Their SUVs and trucks broke through many security check gates on the way out, but they'd exited the whole compound and drove in the outskirts.
"Team!" Laxus called, "The Jupiter cannon is yet to be activated! Don't panic until then!"
"How long does it take until it's activated?!" Gildarts inquired.
Laxus punched the sturdy metal of the truck, "Fifteen minutes... we got the report about them stolen exactly eleven minutes ago… and I don't know if that's accurate…"
"We are dead, huh?" Sting said.
"All! We run fast until Hibiki-the General arrives with air support! We can't confront these battleships until then! I won't risk it!"
Gray's body shivered. The battleship torpedoed buildings, trucks, lives, skilled squadrons, and anything in its way, all of which he witnessed from the Drone monitor. Sting mentioned 'dead' earlier, and he knew why. These weren't the kind of battleships you'd scoff at. It's the kind that makes you think about your own size and limitations as a human fucking being.
It's funny. He has just got his friend back, and they have just connected. Natsu and him… were they doomed to be separated in life and death? Was it a sign that they didn't belong to one another?
"Great God, My fleet can see the fireworks from here." Hibiki "The General", whistled.
"You better hurry your ass! The four of them are catching up!" the major said, "They-"
A devilish purple and blue beam blasted on earth from afar, wobbling their tractor on the tattering earth.
"NAAAH!" Erza struggled to tame the tractor when she was shaking herself. All the passengers held on to the metallic frame not to allow their bodies to flaunt around. The earthquake was vast, and the missile launching trucks behind did their absolute best to maintain their distance, not to smash into each other.
The shake continued for the longest two minutes of their lives, but afterwards, it was less in effect.
"Sergeant… That's…" Mirjane Strauss' trailed.
"—One is launched… three more and everything will be over." Laxus shook his head, "We have to run…"
Gildarts tapped one last time on the keyboard and stretched his neck, "Major. Preparations are done, and we're ready to engage ourselves."
Major Laxus sighed, "You're not an idiot. Have you seen what happened? Do you think your play thing has a shot?"
"You know me." Gildarts Clive grinned, "I won't say things unless I'm sure."
The team has heard this brief debate, and none of them interfered. None but Erza Scarlet.
"Major, with all respect. I think we should listen to him. Just this once."
"Erza, you're all my responsibility—I can't-"
"We've got nothing to lose here, Major. If we don't use what we have, we're gone without a chance to fight and I'd hate that."
"She's right and you know it." Loke said, "We know we're doomed, anyway. This won't make it worse."
"I agree." Sergeant Mirajane spoke firmly.
There was no room for Major Laxus to argue because they tumbled his reasoning before he even started it.
"Major-" Sting started.
"Not you too! Sting, Shut up, will you?"
"You know your men too well." Lieutenant Freed chuckled, "You know I'm authorized to engage Gildarts Clive, right?"
"Oh. Is that a threat?"
It wasn't the first time Lieutenant Freed Justine has undermined Major Laxus's decisions publicly, and god only knows how he got away with it. Laxus wasn't the man to mess with, so that Freed was either a psychopath, or a suicidal motherfucker.
"Not at all. I could've engaged him twenty minutes ago, complying with our headquarters' orders, but I believe in your judgement."
"That's funny. Was that the same judgment that got you shot in the ass?" Laxus's tone wasn't strict or strong as he showed before. It was all replaced by a moment of weakness that baffled Gray.
"You're too melodramatic, Laxus." Lieutenant Freed sighed, "So what? You'd let me die this time? Wow, thanks."
"Guys… this is a touching moment but…" Levy warned, "Christina Bomber 2 is too close… and I don't think their Jupiter Cannon is activated."
"I hate to interrupt this beautiful moment too, but…" Gildarts tapped on the Major's shoulder, "We need an official decision from you-"
"-get to work, we'll back you up."
The teams weren't present in the tactical tractor, but their cheery whistles eased the situation and made death sound like a field trip with friends. He was scared, terrified, his skin was clammy, but the people he was going down with felt like a lost family. Their bravery has reached him and he was excited to fight with them and prove that he can protect them.
"Did you hear that, kiddo?"
"Let's get to work." He grinned, "Let's put this Jupiter Cannon to shame. I want Vance to be the star of this lovely evening."
"Sweet." Gildarts returned to his seat, "Drone number one."
"It's loaded with the prototype." Gray said, "Amazing, I've always wanted to see the original version in action."
"LAUNCH!" Gildarts unleashed the first Drone of the five. The prototype of the pressure magnificator they received recently from the manufacturer was carried by the powerful drone that flew straight to Christina Bomber 2.
"Bolt division, open fire!" Laxus commanded.
At his command, the right hand division of the missile launching trucks fired, before Captain Lucy Heartfilia gave the next command, "Taurus, Virgo, Scorpio, Gemini, go!"
The left-hand missile loaded trucks fired, right when Erza commanded, "Knight Division, open fire!" and the trucks at the back fired.
Gildarts's Drone reserved the front seat of the series of attacks targeting Christina Bomber 2. The Drone dropped the pressure magnificator prototype that attached itself to Christina's top, and a second later, the missiles smashed the ship's wings.
They saw an explosion at the top of the ship penetrate the metallic body 'till it reached the rear, which brought it to the ground and produced another set of earthquakes.
"Lord!" Their Lieutenant struggled with the bumpy drive.
Gildarts's team was all cheers amongst the others.
"WE DID IT!" The three of them raised their fists in the air.
"It works Erza! It works!" Gray shouted, his voice cheering, "One down!"
"SERGEANT MIRAJANE!" Laxus called, "BEHIND YOU!"
A missile was launched from the back to protect Sergeant Mirajane from the series of blasts directed by Christina Bomber 1. However, Knight division failed to estimate the number of missiles they had to fire to avoid a tragedy.
Gildarts gritted his teeth and directed one drone to take the blast for the lady Sergeant.
"Fuck… that was too close…" Gildarts released a long relieved sigh, "You brats… seriously. Don't allow ME of all people to look after your asses. OI SERGEANT MIRAJANE! WHERE THE FUCK ARE YOU LOOKING?! I JUST LOST TWO PRECIOUS DRONES!"
"Thank you… I owe you one." She sounded anxious.
"I don't mind having a beautiful woman owing me…" Gildarts grinned, "I intend to make you pay the debt…"
Laxus glared, "Did you say something?"
"N-Nothing…"
Christina Bomber 1 directed a series of blasts which targeted the missile launching trucks, and according to Laxus, they've lost Gimini and Taurus divisions. Gildarts has launched another drone with the other pressure magnificator prototype, but Chrisitina Bomber 3 shot it down before it reached the wings.
Gray and Levy shuddered at the blast that hit their precious drone AND prototype. They had two drones left. One had to carry Vance and ensures that it reaches the ship before it launches the Jupiter cannon or they faced a bleak ending.
Right when they worried, they lost Virgo and Scorpio division before three death loaded airships.
"Asking for permission to use my rocket launcher."
Erza sweat dropped, "Lucy, calm down."
"They toasted my divisions, and you're asking me to calm down?!"
"Captain." Laxus yelled, "Drive and stay put."
"Major, air activity coming up head…" Gildarts warned Laxus with a strained face, "Shit… that's a lot, we can't…"
"Eh?" For the first time, Erza sounded alarmed.
"…" Laxus grinned instead of being horrified to death like Gray was, "Took you long enough princess."
"Happy to see you too."
The General's Fleet of airships appeared at the far front, and behind the sharpness of the several allied steel battleship forces, four Christina Bomber airships approached.
"I'm so sad to have to destroy my beautiful creations… I'll never forgive whoever stole them…"
"No time for sentiments…" Laxus voice was cold, "We've lost a good number of divisions, lives too."
"Right."
The allied squadrons made way for Hibiki's Christina to launch a reverse Jupiter cannon which destroyed Christina Bomber one, bringing it to the ground. Soon, their cheers were suppressed by Hibiki's comment.
"Hmmm. You failed to mention there were seven stolen and not only four. Well done taking one out. That's outstanding."
"WHAT THE…?!" Everyone sounded frantic. As three more airships approached them from their right side.
"FUCK!" During the process, Gildarts had both of his remaining drones shattered to protect other members of the suicidal team.
"Request for an airship that can lift dead weight." Gildarts raised the alarm, "Right now."
"You got it." Was Hibiki's prompt response. "Silver 300 is your ride."
The grin forced itself on Gray's lips. "That's my ride too."
An airship landed on their Tractor. Gildarts and Gray were provided with glasses to protect them, earplugs for air pressure, and special black leather jackets. While his ex-boss piloted the airship, Gray jumped in the passenger seat in the back, both carrying Vance and heading towards three of the Christina Bomber ships.
Major Laxus couldn't object further when one of the Anti-Christina ships' Jupiter cannon was about to launch.
"That's it…" Gildarts sighed, "Can't believe I have to die with you or here. Like why? For what? My beautiful Cana will be an orphan."
"She's so old to be an orphan." Gray sweat dropped, "I can't believe I have to die with you old man! I always believed I'll die with Natsu or something."
"Yeah… he too is gonna be wrecked."
"…"
"His blinding love for you is sickening. I wonder what he sees in you." Gildarts grinned.
Gray's heart melted at the comment and pushed him to look where he thought Natsu was.
"Me too." Gray whispered.
"Ready?" Gildarts inquired.
"Ready."
Gildarts avoided dozens of blasts and attempted to get closer from one of the Christinas.
"Shit!" Gray has seen the skilled squadrons all over the base, but Gildarts was the last person on earth that he imagined he would have those skills, even far greater than them.
Did this guy have a history in the military?
"Are you sure you want to do this?" Gildarts repeated.
"I can't be the pilot. I need you to stay here… I'll do what I'm capable of. Besides, I'm longing to see what you, I, and Levy have developed."
"Kid… you won't enjoy it if you're dead."
"I'll live." Gray assured, his hair floating around, "Or If I die, I'll make sure that I take that ship with me and be useful."
Gildarts scoffed. "I'll not let my cute subordinate die. Follow my orders and you'll be fine."
"As if. You shot me twice. You'll wait till I finish the job and then finish me off yourself." Gray strongly believed so.
"Brat, that hurts. I knew where I was aiming before."
"… Right."
"I need your focus. Once Vance gets attached to the airship, you're going to activate function zero, and get back here. So simple."
"… Right."
Gildarts maneuvered his way onto Christina Bomber 4. Gray wore a backpack and had another in his hand. Once the glazed ceiling of his battle aircraft opened, the air pressure was sharp and hurtful that knocked off his balance, and he fell off.
'God! God! God!'
He pushed a button from the backpack, and a parachute opened, decreasing the heaviness of the fall, and restoring a bit of his sanity.
He dragged his feet on Christina Bomber 4 and reached Vance which had its tip penetrating through the steel surface. The coldness crept up Gray's foot, spread to his spine till it reached his brain. He was overwhelmed in the air as he manipulated the buttons to work.
"KIDDO! ARE YOU DONE YET?!"
"YOU CRAZY? I'M STARTING!"
"Gray! The minute you find a problem, you need to abort! No time for fixing mistakes!" Hibiki's command came through.
"OF COURSE I WILL."
That's a lie to get them off his back.
"Ok, ok, ok, ok. Great. Buddy, it's your time. Please don't fail me…" Gray recited his prayers, kissed the metallic surface of the weapon, and activated.
It required three minutes to activate. His orders were to get back to Gildarts as soon as it activates, but his gut had to makes sure it went as planned, so he preferred to wait until its two minutes down.
Gildarts's airship maneuvered away from the blasts coming its way, and was disappearing before Gray's eyes, but he didn't panic as he saw Gildarts struggling his way back.
"Kiddo, you're done?!"
"Not yet." Gray lied.
"You should be done! I can't keep this up! Hurry!"
"Gray? You have to get back now."
"Put Natsu through."
"Wha…?"
"Put Natsu through."
A second before a sick-yelling reached him.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"
"Hey bastard! Listen to me real good!" Gray grinned, "Whatever happens! Don't cheat on me!"
"What… are you… talking about?!" Natsu cracked, "Why are you so selfish all the-?"
"That will be all!" Gray yelled.
A minute later, Vance was activated.
Sky Blue thick laser penetrated through Christina Bomber 4, reaching Christina Bomber 3, from the left, and Christina Bomber 5 and 6 from the right. It could easily do it because the four had the same magnetic field that the laser detected.
A sound of crackling crystallization sent Gray's heart to a full blown excitement. Bone shattering coldness surrounded him until his breaths came out ragged. Ice continued to form beneath his feet and gnawed at the ship until it has covered it. Gray stared at the scene before him, thinking it was unreal.
All four airships were swallowed by crystallizing merciless dazzling blue Ice as the thick laser connected them and transferred the sickness. His feet was glued to the falling airship, and the skin of his face, hands, arms, torso, and other locations burned and bled with cutting coldness, and he couldn't feel his lungs any more.
"Gray!" Gildarts yelled.
His brain froze, and was incapable of producing speech.
A missile was launched to break the part of the airship his feet has been stuck at.
Loke opened the roof of his SUV, and used his RPG along with Major Laxus and Captain Lucy. Loke reversed the SUV with full speed to catch up with the falling body of the crazy electrical engineer who didn't have the strength to open the second parachute.
"THIS FUCKER! I'LL MURDER HIM!" Loke shouted.
"I WILL DO THAT BEFORE YOU!" Laxus hollered.
Gray fell on Loke's back seat along with heavy metallic wreck of the battleship, causing the vehicle to flip. Loke's arm bled as he tried to control the vehicle that rolled multiple times before it seized in movement.
The accident was Vast.
And the suicidal team was in shock.
Natsu stared at the scene while his green eyes lost the life of them.
To Be Continued...
Next Chapter Release: Next week, Wednesday, 3rd June.
Hey Guys!
Yessssss, we're officially done from the Military phase. Next phase in the final one. The story isn't ending so soon, but on its way. Next phase is the final one, mainly consists of Natsu and Gray moments, insecurities, misunderstandings, love, passion, stubbornness, etc. As a writer and reader, next phase is what i love the most. Because they love each other so much, yet they won't openly and clearly share it with each other.
I'm so excited to share these chapters with you. Until then!
Special thanks to: deboome (Ahhhhh, they CAN be sweet to each other, they just WON'T do it all the time, bastards! Hehe, you will like the coming chapters more as I noted in my message above. I'm so excited to show it soon!), Kori No Koibito (Ohhh, yes Lucy will show more often now. She'll be a great contributor to this relationship. Won't say more!), JO (... yup. I did write it... Hope you liked it!), Ren (Heeeeyyy. Hands tissues. Please don't faint!)
Thank you ALL for reading. Feel free to share any comment, inquiry, or advice. I'd love that. AND stay safe, stay home.
Alright, till next time!
Looooooove,
Flame-Belt