That night, sitting on the bed in the spare bedroom, Lucy found herself lonely. She felt better after exercising with Freed that afternoon, but night brought about the same fears it always did. Nervously hugging her pillow Lucy prepared to endure her nightmares again.
Except…
Her eyes skimmed towards Freed's room, the light still on as he prepared for bed. Last night she got more blissful sleep than she had in two weeks, and giving that up hurt her heart. All she wanted to do was not endure the nightmares every time she closed her eyes.
But that wouldn't happen, not alone in this room. Her legs wanted her to get up and go see Freed, but her heart told her to stay put. Sleeping in Freed's room last night had to be a onetime deal.
He was doing enough; she didn't need to invade the last shred of solitude he had in his own home.
Curling her toes into the comforter, she bit her lip. Even asking Freed would be a step in the wrong direction. After what she'd admitted last night, why would he even humor the idea? He had to be disgusted with her, just like she was with herself.
Still, the idea was tempting. She'd give almost anything for that kind of sleep again.
"Goodnight Lucy," Freed called from his room, waving before reaching for the lights. He didn't tell her to sleep well; he never did. He hesitated a moment at his door, seeming like he wanted to say something else but didn't. As he turned away, she felt her heart clench.
She didn't want to be alone again, even if she'd slept alone most nights since her rescue. Before now someone was always with her, either her spirits or Natsu and Happy. Even her team became common bedside friends.
Sleeping alone… she'd never get used to do that.
Staring into Freed's dark doorway, she could feel the walls beginning to close in around her. Even if he judged her… even if deep down he found her disgusting, she'd rather feel that than the settling fear as she faced another night of failed attempts to sleep.
Before she could overthink it anymore Lucy hopped up from the bed, dropping her pillow in the process as she hurried across the dark space, her feet padding softly against the floor as she ran into Freed's room and over to the bed.
He clearly hadn't fallen asleep yet, eyes flying open in the dark as she darted in, sitting up on high alert as she approached. "Lu-"
She didn't let him finish, barreling into the vacant side of the bed before he got the chance. She pressed her face into the sheets, feeling a wave of calm wash over her as Freed's scent overtook her senses, the comfort she felt last night returning anew.
When Freed touched her shoulder, she didn't even flinch in the dark. "Lucy?"
"Sorry," she sighed, remaining as she was, her voice muffled. "I just… I don't want to sleep in there."
"Is something wrong?"
She shook her head, hugging the pillow as she rolled over to face him. In the dark she could make out his silhouette, her eyes adjusting slowly to the dark. "No… not exactly."
He hesitated before speaking, and she wondered if he was putting the pieces together. He was intuitive like that. "Is this about yesterday?"
"I liked sleeping in here," she said in a rush, feeling her nerves stand on end. She'd rather focus on the positive side instead of the negative memories she shared with him. It wasn't just about the bad memories, but the fact that he hadn't shoved her away.
"You did?"
Lucy nodded, her head bobbing against the pillow. "I felt… safe."
Even though it was dark, she thought she saw the ghost of a smile on his face. "I'm glad I make you feel safe."
For some reason, that sent a comfortable wave of warmth through her. He sounded sincere, like he was actually pleased that she felt safe with him. Feeling bold she reached down, dragging the sheets and blanket up over her body until she was covered to her chin. Keeping the extra pillow cuddled to her side for comfort, she rolled over and faced Freed.
"I know I'm imposing," she said quietly, her heartbeat quickening as she prepared for his rejection, "but I feel so much better in here. I just, just for tonight-"
Freed shushed her, gently placing a hand on her forehead. She stilled beneath his touch, sitting on edge while waiting for him to kick her out. "Lucy, I told you before, whatever you need. I never said you couldn't sleep in here."
And just like that, she slumped down into his mattress, reveling at the comfort it provided. Freed's hand remained where it was another moment before pulling away but it didn't matter, Lucy's mind already drifting off…
The following morning, Freed woke to the sound of someone triggering the alarms around his home. He bolted up in bed, already feeling his magic beginning to surge through him. Sudden jump start or not, he was on high alert.
Glancing at Lucy, he was surprised to find her still passed out. Obviously she was sleeping well, even the trigger of the wards doing nothing to jolt her awake. Deciding he'd rather leave her there in a protected place anyway Freed disentangled himself from the sheets, sliding Lucy as gently as he could off of his arm and back onto the mattress.
At some point last night she'd cuddled up to his side again, and half-awake Freed hadn't thought anything of it when he slipped his arms around her and pulled her close. If it didn't scare her he wasn't going to argue, feeling content to have her so close.
She trusted him, and he wasn't going to ruin that.
Getting out of the bed he grabbed his sword, forgoing shoes and a shirt as his mind kicked into battle mode, intent on seeing who exactly dared to come this close to the house.
It wasn't a member of Fairy Tail, that much he was certain. The wards weren't set to trigger unless an outside source tried to enter uninvited, and he was certain Jellal and Meredy would never be foolish enough to come to the house unannounced.
Taking the stairs two at a time he found himself downstairs, eyes flashing as he peered out each of the open windows, curtains still pulled back from the night prior. Freed could feel pressure building behind his eye, the suppressed magic begging anyone to be foolish enough to come to the house. Even if it was the remaining Seis and Rustrose, he'd take the challenge all by himself.
Anything to protect her. He didn't believe this was a coincidence.
Giving up on finding anything through the windows, he headed to the door, feeling the charge of energy in his fingertips. He almost wanted someone to be snooping around outside so he had a reason to take it out on someone.
Hopefully someone deserving. Almost going after Cobra wasn't good enough before. He wasn't a means to an end, and no matter what memories surfaced they weren't Cobra's fault.
The moment he stepped out onto the porch, he could sense the person prowling around. Given that he'd only ever met one member of the Oracion Seis prior, and he'd dueled Rustyrose just once, he wasn't entirely sure who he was looking for.
It didn't matter. Someone was there, he could sense them scouting out the far side of his house, the side Lucy was on. Without missing a beat he took off, wondering why they waited until he was outside to return to the wards and alert him.
Maybe it was a trap, but he couldn't focus on that. If he didn't act now there were too many possibilities of "what ifs" that might happen, and Freed wasn't in the mood to chance any of them.
Nearing the opposite side of his house Freed slowed his steps, quieting his breathing. Ears perked, he listened for any sound of movement.
Half a second later, some sort of colorful blur sped past him, knocking Freed on his ass.
He grunted when he fell, sensing the return of whoever that was, twisting on the ground to swipe with his sword. It wasn't the attack he'd prefer to deliver, but it did succeed in nicking whoever was rushing around, sending their speedy dash into a graceless tumble as the assailant toppled mid run.
Jumping up, for a split second he thought it might be Jet but discarded the thought. The wards wouldn't have triggered if it was Jet, and he'd be much more familiar with Freed's attacks.
Even if that wasn't his real attack. He didn't miss a beat, aware that the attacker seemed to use primarily speed to get the upper hand. He bolted before the man got up, obviously surprised that he'd managed to knock him off his feet so easily.
Deciding he couldn't waste time, Freed used teleportation to arrive at the assailant's side. He had no idea who he was facing exactly, not recognizing the weird sleek black suit, the blond hair, or the stupid looking chin guard.
A chin guard. What the hell was that supposed to do?
Freed saw the panic in his eyes when he rematerialized, obviously not expecting a spell like that. The man began to blur again, not saying anything before he tried to take off. Lifting his blade, Freed made sure he couldn't run, the magic coursing behind his eye almost painful. "Dark Ecriture: pain."
The spell almost missed, catching the side of the man before he could bolt. Collapsing to his knees Freed heard him gasp, the magic taking its toll.
Rolling his shoulders back, he approached the attacker. Freed felt the tension in his body beginning to ease; no matter how angry he was he needed this release, and both his magic and his body could feel the exertion beginning. Rounding on the man he kneeled in front of him, ignoring the painful withering of his form.
"Who the hell are you?"
Despite gasping on the floor, the weirdly dressed man managed to roll over and glare at Freed. For the first time he realized he was wearing glasses, masking the volumes of pain he had to be feeling.
He grinned up at Freed, his lips curling into a sneer. "A-ask your friend upstairs."
His temper flared, hating the way he took some sort of pleasure bringing up Lucy. Dropping his hand down to the man's twitching head he applied pressure, his eyes flaring. "Pain."
Renewed, the spell took its toll a second time, and Freed didn't feel pity when the man let out a scream. He obviously knew Lucy was there somehow, and the idea didn't sit well in Freed's stomach.
Standing, he put some distance between them. If he let his anger take over he wouldn't find out anything. From what he'd seen this man wasn't Midnight; his magic seemed to have nothing to do with what Lucy had described.
That didn't mean he wasn't involved.
"Who are you?" he sneered again, his voice rising. "What the fuck are you doing at my home?"
Snapping his fingers, he watched one of the sets of runes disperse, giving the man beneath a moment to breath. Beating someone only worked if they could talk, and Freed was going to get everything he could out of this man.
Gasping, it took several moments before he tried saying anything. "F… fuck you man."
That did it, sending Freed into a rage. He was tired of playing games with people who wanted to mess around and put Lucy in danger.
If he wanted to be an asshole, Freed would be one right back.
Losing his temper, he grabbed the other man, feeling him jerk in his grip despite the rune. He didn't hesitate, bringing his sword down on the man's shoulder, smirking when it sank in through the muscle until it hit bone, the force behind his attack not strong enough to push through.
He screamed, jerking free to gasp on the ground. Freed rarely used his sword for its true purpose, but there was something satisfying about drawing blood with the blade.
He wasn't finished, remembering all the wretched things Lucy told him had happened to her. Drawing back his blade, he spoke again, "Dark Ecriture: fear. Suffering!"
The man withered again, and Freed found himself frustrated that he wasn't getting any answers. He was messing around, wasting time when he should be answering for what he'd done! There were zero doubts in Freed's mind that he was involved, but just who he was eluded him. Scrambling through his mind, he tried to place a name to the figure before him.
Zoning out the screams of the man, he listened for anything out of the ordinary. There was always a chance this was a trap and someone was inside attempting to take Lucy, but he would've heard the alarms. It didn't matter if one person activated the barrier; each time it was triggered the same alerts would go off, and he would know by now if someone was there.
This man was alone, but for what purpose Freed didn't know. Watching for a few more moments he let the man suffer, reminding himself that he needed him conscious to answer his questions. When he was satisfied Freed swept his sword over the bleeding mage, removing the pain and suffering runes, but letting the fear rune remain.
Bending forward, he sneered down at the man on the ground. "Try again."
He was more durable than Freed assumed, lunging forward even though he still fought the fear rune. He crashed into Freed, catching him off guard, managing to catch him in the side of his face with his fist moments before Freed retaliated, letting the assailant see the magic growing behind his eye.
Spinning, Freed ducked out of the punch, grabbing the man's hair when he couldn't find another hold. "Wings!"
They shot upward, the man's brief surprise reflected behind his shades. Twisting his body in a blur he kicked upward, catching Freed in the chest this time. His fingers slipped out of his hair, dropping him nearly ten feet from the ground.
Freed growled when he took off away from the house, shooting after the blur through the sky. He sneered, unable to believe he was letting this buffoon one-up him.
He was just so god-damn angry.
Not entirely sure that the situation actually warranted the excess power, Freed couldn't help himself as he pursued the attacker. Feeling his body morphing, he let the magic take over both of his eyes. "Dark Ecriture: Darkness."
He'd teach this man what happened when he dared to hurt Lucy.
Shooting out of the sky, he collided with the blur of a person on the ground, rolling as his body shifted. He briefly caught the surprise on his face when he realized Freed's body had changed before he struck the ground, Freed ending up on top and diving his newly formed talon's towards his scrawny throat.
He stopped, millimeters from gutting him. It took more restraint than he'd realized to stop, the need to bring justice to Lucy outweighing his moral compass. Instead he snatched the man's hair once more, using his added strength to slam his head back into the ground, the grass and dirt sinking lower on impact.
"Tell me who you are!"
It wasn't a question, and he didn't leave room for debate. Sputtering, the man gasped for breath before speaking. "Racer!"
Freed's eyes darkened, recalling the name from one of Lucy's stories. He was one of the Seis, one of the people who tortured her.
One of the people who hurt her. One of the men who watched her, taking pleasure in acts that brought her shame.
Seething he grabbed his neck, shaking the man before him. "You hurt her! You let them hurt her! You're the reason she's scared of every little thing!"
He jerked up, dragging Racer with him. He attempted to kick out at Freed but in this form, even his super speed movements had little effect. This wasn't a magic that could counteract his eye magic well.
Glaring at the bleeding man, he shook him as hard as he could, even while he squirmed. "Tell me where those bastards are!"
Racer gasped when Freed threw him, putting as much force behind it as he could. The man flew through the air before smashing into a tree with a sickening crunch. Freed didn't give him time to recover, eyes blazing as he approached. "Darkness: Breath."
The man flew backward further, Freed's whirlwind attack nearly blowing over the tree he'd been thrown into. Standing back he watched Racer tumble, the attack taking out the man still bound by a fear rune.
Only then did Freed pick up a sound by the house, whirling at the sound of racing footsteps. He braced himself, prepared to keep fighting until he got some answers.
Standing on the porch was Laxus, stopped a safe distance away that he wouldn't get in the middle of the fray. Lightning shot around his head lazily, like he found something amusing about the fight.
Knowing Laxus, he probably did. But he wasn't what made Freed hesitate.
Behind Laxus the door to the house opened, revealing Lucy in her nightclothes from yesterday. He wasn't sure how long she'd been watching but it was obvious she'd seen something, her skin ghost white as she stepped onto the porch.
Freed didn't move, a sense of dread settling into his stomach. Behind him he could hear Racer struggling to stand, and he knew he had a few more moments before the man became a bother again. But he couldn't make himself turn back, eyes focused only on Lucy.
She looked terrified, large saucer eyes glowing in the early morning light. For a moment he thought she was frightened of him before he realized her eyes were not trained on him but the man he'd been beating for the past ten minutes.
Even beaten, he still shot a wave of panic through the blonde. Without hesitating Freed spun around, the one spell he rarely used hanging on his tongue.
Death.
Instead he sighed, lifting his blade once again to cast the same, crippling spell. "Fear."
Hours later, Freed sat beside Lucy in the infirmary, her knees knocking nervously together as they waited for Makarov to invite them into Racer's interrogation.
To be honest, he figured things were going better than planned. For one thing Racer didn't put up much of a fight when Laxus finally pulled Freed off of him, the man bleeding from his inflicted wounds. In comparison the bruise on Freed's cheek, his cut lip and his sore ribs, his injuries were nothing.
And he felt somewhat satisfied, glad to beat up any of the Seis. Unfortunately there were two individuals who played a prime role in Lucy's torture, and neither seemed to be making an appearance.
They still didn't know what Racer's intent was showing up at Freed's house, but he clearly didn't know that setting off alarms would alert anyone that intruder was present. It seemed all his precautions were worth it.
All Freed cared about was that Lucy was okay, and no one got near her. Laxus made sure of it, reminding her to stay back even while Freed was in a vengeful frenzy earlier.
Glancing at her, he hesitated touching her. Lucy clung to him earlier when he'd morphed back to his regular self, but that was while she was racked with tears. Now he wasn't certain she'd want any contact with him, not when she saw the bloody mess he left Racer in.
Then again, it shouldn't be surprising. She was a wizard after all, and she'd seen plenty of similar situations before.
"You don't have to go in," he said finally, glancing her way. She'd come upstairs with him when Laxus demanded he cool off after dragging Racer to the guild hall, but Freed was pretty sure the only reason anyone made him go up there was to put distance between himself and Racer.
Putting him anywhere but Fairy Tail was absurd. There was no way he'd risk taking that man into his house and chance causing Lucy any unease. At the guild there were more than enough wizards to make sure that excuse for a mage didn't do anything stupid, and it was the most sensible place to interrogate someone without alerting the royal army of an attack – or worse, the council.
He felt better with so many people around. He'd definitely jump up if he had even an inkling that Racer escaped and might come after Lucy, but right now he wasn't concerned.
He'd gotten to beat him up already, and came out pretty okay. Now Racer was downstairs, facing the wrath of both his and Lucy's teams, not to mention everyone else.
Obviously Lucy's team got priority, and he figured if Racer could withstand the anger that radiated from Natsu, Gray, Erza and Wendy, then whatever determination he had left would ultimately be snuffed out by Laxus and the others.
When they finally went downstairs, he'd be surprised if the man was still left conscious.
Lucy ran her teeth over her lips, and he could tell that her nerves were on end. She hadn't said much since they brought Racer in, lost in whatever memories surfaced. "I… I want to."
Freed arched an eyebrow, surprised when she spoke. Despite his best efforts, she'd ignored most of his questions. Watching the soft shake of her hands, he couldn't quite believe her. "There's no pressure Lucy. The rest of us can ask Racer all the questions you need. You don't have to face him."
Her head snapped up, eyes shiny. "I have to face him. If I can't confront him, h-how will I face the others?"
Scowling, he wished this hadn't happened. It was rewarding to take out some of his aggression on Racer, but he'd much rather have Lucy content like she was last night when she raced into his bed, finding comfort in his presence. Now she was regressing, the fear rising up once more.
He hated it. Every time she made progress, something threw her back to square one.
"There's no pressure-" he began again.
"They have my friends!" she cried, her voice so quiet compared to the emotion behind it. "I have to talk to him. I have to find out what they are doing now. They could be hurting them! He hurt you!"
The air left Freed's lungs, stunned by her admission. Wendy already came through and dealt with the cosmetic damage, even easing the ache in his ribs. The damage was all but gone, nothing more than an angry memory now. "Lucy-"
"They will hurt more people if they get away with… whatever this is," she continued, her voice nothing more than a whisper. Reaching out she grasped his shirt, wrinkled from Freed's rushed movements to pick up one from the floor before rushing to the guild. "I can't watch anyone else get hurt!"
Shushing her gently, he smoothed his hand over hers, waiting until her knuckles finally relaxed and eased up on the death grip. His hand clutched hers when the tension left, holding it in place over his chest. "Racer didn't hurt me Lucy. If anything, I hurt him. You don't need to worry about me, or the others. We are all able to fight this demon on our own."
"But I need to fight him Freed," she replied, awkwardly rubbing her arm. Watching her body language, he saw her squeeze her legs together, her chin dropping like she was ashamed. "I have to start by facing someone, and I'd rather face Racer before Rusty or Midnight."
Deciding it wasn't a bad idea, Freed relented. No one would let Lucy anywhere near harm's way, not with the guild coiled so tight as distress seeped through the building. Everyone was on edge, and he had no doubt she was safe here among their friends.
"If he does anything, says anything," Freed stressed, shaking his head to dispel the anger, "I won't let you stand there. You don't have to take it."
"I can-"
"Lucy," he begged, dropping his voice. There were plenty of dragon slayers hanging around, and he didn't need any questions later if they overheard something. "I've already seen the damage dealing with the past did to you before. You don't have to endure anymore of it. If Racer makes you uncomfortable or fearful, then there's no reason to put yourself through it all again."
She shook her head, steeling herself against his words. Even though she was doing a decent job holding herself together, he could tell she was close to coming undone. Seeing Racer up close and personal might be enough to make her snap, and he feared what the confrontation would unleash.
But Freed wasn't a fool. There was a strong chance Racer would demand to see Lucy, something everyone would deny. He would pester until he got what he wanted, and he would almost certainly try to cripple her resolve if they came face to face.
He didn't want to give the fucker the chance, but if Lucy was that determined to fight her demons he'd only be hurting her healing if he denied her. She still had to make her own decisions and set her own boundaries, even if they made his stomach flip.
"Let me try," she said finally, meeting his gaze again. "That's all I want. A chance to show he didn't beat me."
And Freed's determination snapped, giving up. He couldn't deny her when she looked at him with those pitying eyes.
A knock on the door drew their attention, and a moment later Mira pushed it open to smile their way. He could tell it was a little strained, and he wondered briefly if the takeover mage had a hand at interrogating Racer too.
He'd been on the receiving end of Mira's attacks before. Certainly he would cripple if Mira came after him.
"They're ready," she said, eyes focused solely on Lucy. "I made Laxus and Bickslow help Erza get Gray and Natsu outside. They tried to take the whole building down."
"Is that a surprise?" he replied, standing up. Honestly, Natsu should count himself lucky that he came home late last night. Just yesterday morning Sabertooth reported him being at their guild the night before, and if he hadn't moved quickly he may have missed the confrontation. If anything was going to eat at him, missing the chance to beat up one of the Seis would certainly be his tipping point.
Laying into Racer definitely made Freed feel a little better, even if he had his eyes on another target. Still, he'd gotten the pleasure of beating him bloody, something he wasn't so sure the rest of the guild got to do.
Mira shrugged, gaze remaining on Lucy. She hesitated an extra moment or two before getting up as well, her hand automatically clasping his own. Freed felt surprise shoot through him, staring down at their intertwined fingers.
They'd never really held hands before, but she clearly needed it now. He gave her hand a gentle squeeze, trying to ensure that it was going to be okay. He decided to forgo trying to talk her out of this, knowing she'd made her mind up the moment she stood.
One way or another she was going to confront Racer, and he'd rather be there to protect her than not.
Deciding to not say anything, Mira led the way. He thought that said a lot about the situation, given Mira's nosy nature. Lucy walked half a step in front of him as they left the infirmary and headed to one of the empty offices down below, the only place an interrogation could really be held in Fairy Tail.
The closer they got, the harder Lucy's hand shook. He gave her a few reassuring squeezes as they went, pausing behind Mira just outside the door so she could knock. The entire guild was behind them, speaking quietly as they waited to be allowed entry.
As they waited, Freed bent over and kissed her temple, smiling gently when Lucy blushed and turned to stare up at him. In that moment it didn't matter how far he wanted to drag her away from that room. "You've got this."
The door opened, revealing Laxus on the other side. Freed wasn't surprised to see his leader as they were ushered in, Mira giving them one final look before closing the door once more.
Glancing around, Freed noticed Makarov and Erza in the space as well. Evidently, once Gray and Natsu could be detained by their other friends, the pair returned to deal with Racer. Of all the people who were probably previously in this room, he decided the remaining were definitely the most sensible.
He almost wished Mira stayed, if only for Lucy's added comfort. As soon as they stepped in Racer had eyes for only her, Freed's hands resting tensely on her shoulders as she shook, her nerves from earlier amplified tenfold.
"I knew you were there," he said, speaking past his newly busted lip. His shoulder appeared mended, even if the blood remained. Freed could tell from the spotty job that Wendy played no part in healing him. Leaning forward on the table, Racer grinned. "Even knew which window you were behind."
Lucy flinched, Freed's earlier thoughts swirling back. There were two chairs set on this side of the room facing Racer, and as they stared Laxus moved around behind him to place two steading hands on the man's shoulders. There was no way he could get past everyone anyway, but the added security eased Lucy just a little, her shoulders relaxing no more than a fraction.
She cleared her throat, remaining where she was by the door. "You have m-my friends."
Racer grinned, any uncertainly vanishing. He'd gotten her to talk, just as Freed assumed he wanted, and it sated his ego. "We do."
Wetting her lips, Lucy spoke again, "W-where are they?"
The side of his lips tugged upward, and Freed knew the response would be bad before it ever came. "Give me another show, and I'll tell you whatever you want to know, darling."
Freed felt Lucy's composure snap before he saw it, her shoulders crunching inward to protect herself. He tugged her back behind him, watching the confusion on his other guild mates faces. Even Erza looked perplexed, and at one point in time she'd known these people.
These monsters.
As soon as the sob ripped from her throat Erza stepped forward, her concern clouded by confused anger. Freed's arm wrapped around Lucy's shoulders, feeling the hitch in her breathing.
"Never again," he seethed, hating the cocky look in Racer's eyes, like he knew he'd already gotten away with murder. Barely able to rip his eyes from the man, Freed spun around to face Lucy.
She was crying, and it broke his heart. He was supposed to be protecting her from these monsters. Without a word he reached past her to the door handle, unsurprised when Mira caught the frame on the other side.
Of course everyone was listening. At least two of the other three dragon slayers were waiting out there with bated breath, and it was no surprise that people could hear the distress in that room.
Freed didn't have to ask the barmaid as he gave Lucy a gentle push out the door, the frazzled blonde all put falling into Mira's gentle hold. He didn't wait to see the expression on hers or anyone else's faces, feeling the same unhinged anger returning from earlier.
A few words. That was all it took for Racer to burrow back under her skin and trigger the terrors she'd grown used to.
Slamming the door closed, he crossed the room in three long strides, sitting down in the chair across from Racer. He didn't look jovial anymore, his lips turned down into a frown. Letting some of his magic appear behind his eye again, Freed sneered at the man when he tried to lean away.
"Tell me, tell me where they are."
A/n: We finally got an explosive Freed! I didn't have him totally obliterate Racer here because I felt he'd have to use some restraint to get answers, and he'd want to save his big guns for later. Who do you think he hates more, Midnight or Rusty? Thanks for reading and please leave your thoughts! Somehow I managed to turn out another chapter in a week.