Sunlight filtered into the cell from the portal high on the stone wall, filling the once dark space with light. Dust particles shimmered in the sun's rays as they floated down from the ceiling and settled on the ground. Rats scurried across the floor in search of crumbs, squeaking pleasantly as they scavenged for their breakfast. However, when the sleeping figure sprawled out in the middle of the cell stirred, the rats disappeared, squeezing into holes along the bottom of the walls.
Pain pounded in his head the moment Gray opened his eyes. Wincing against the pain, Gray moved his body into a sitting position. He rubbed his hand over the lump protruding from the back of his head ― the cause of his massive headache. He paused his inspection of his head injury when he noticed thick bandages wrapped around his wrists, blood spots speckling the white strips. It appeared that Lyon's men had freed him from his restraints and tended to his wounds after they knocked him out. The first aid was rushed by the looks of it but done in such a way that he wouldn't bleed out from the wounds he had received while trying to escape from his chains. The manacles that had restrained him hours earlier dangled from the wall in front of him, his dried blood still staining the rusted iron.
An icy rage shot through Gray's veins. Clenching his hands into fists, Gray glared at the rust-covered chains. If it weren't for those chains, Gray would have beaten Lyon to a bloody pulp after Lyon had revealed his plans to kill Lucy; he wouldn't have let Lyon walk out of this prison conscious. However, bound as he had been, Gray was forced to endure the torment of being powerless ― of being unable to rescue his friend. Lucy was in grave danger, and it was all his fault.
So you'll heal me enough to keep me alive, Lyon, until you give me the death you decided for me, Gray thought bitterly. As soon as I get out of here, I'll make sure you—
Gray paused his thoughts. He had let his anger and desire for revenge consume him once before with dire consequences; he wouldn't make that mistake again. He needed to escape, but his first priority wasn't his revenge against Lyon. No, it was finding Lucy and getting her to safety. To do that, Gray needed to focus on that alone and nothing else. He couldn't let his anger cloud his judgement. With some difficulty, Gray let his rage thaw and unclenched his fists.
Now that he was free of his chains, he needed a plan. Taking note of the light coming from the room and his hunger and thirst, Gray deducted it to be about mid-morning by then. Good, he thought. There is still time . He moved about his cell checking to see if there were any imperfections to the design that he could use to his advantage and escape. Finding none, his gaze drifted to the lone portal high in the wall. Gray frowned as he noted it was too high to jump to. Even if he could somehow reach it, there was no way he could fit his body through that opening. The only other option of escape was through the door. Gray swore. Lyon had chosen this cell for a reason. Gray knew Lyon was clever and outmaneuvering him was going to be difficult. Difficult, but not impossible.
Think , he commanded himself. Replaying the previous few days in his mind, Gray analyzed them for some sort of clue that would help him escape. There had to be a weakness he could exploit. Lyon's guards had visited him three times a day to deliver his meals and collect his waste bucket. The guards had all worn masks and had never spoken to him. One guard had stationed himself by the door while the other had delivered his food. That had been the only time that the door to his cell would open. If Gray could subdue his guards, he could take one of their masks and move about the floors above and search for Lucy undetected. Once he found her, he could simply escort her out of the building and then run like hell.
However, to where would they run after escaping Lyon's clutches? It would take time to secure plane tickets, and Gray didn't know the extent of Lyon's reach or where in the world Lyon had taken him. They could be captured again by the time he was able to figure everything out, and then it would be all over. Gray needed somewhere safe to hide with Lucy once they got away.
Sighing in frustration, Gray ran his hands viciously through his hair. He swore at the pain that shot through his head, having forgotten about his head injury. It was impossible to figure out where they were or where to hide from inside his cell. He would think about that when he found Lucy. Gray would do whatever it took to keep her safe; all that mattered was that she got out of this unscathed. However, he needed to escape first.
A couple of Lyon's guards wouldn't difficult to take out. The guards didn't possess weapons that he remembered seeing, but it was safer to assume that they were armed. Gray had trained under Ur for ten years, and the two years he spent after her death in the Russian mafia had provided him with more training ― however unorthodox it may have been. Even though he wasn't part of the mafia anymore or training with Ur, those previous five years, Gray had continued his old workout routines. Old habits were hard to break, especially if one had had a trainer like Ur.
Taking quick note of his body, Gray examined his injuries. Besides his head injury and the wounds on his wrists, there was a stiffness in his joints, and his muscles ached, especially in his arms. Other than that, he seemed fine. His headache still throbbed, but he tried his best to ignore it. His stomach was empty and his mouth dry from thirst, but those were things out of his control. Bending and stretching, Gray limbered up his body and got his blood pumping. After putting his body through some warm-up exercises, he felt ready to put his plan into action. It wasn't the best plan in the world, and there were so many unknowns to contend with once he would get outside his cell. Nonetheless, it would have to do; there wasn't much time to think of anything else. Gray would just have to keep on his toes as he fought like hell to get Lucy away from Lyon. He wouldn't let Lyon have his revenge, at least not on Lucy.
Footsteps sounded outside his door — the usual shuffled reluctant gait that belonged to his guards. In order to keep the guards from suspecting his newfound eagerness to escape, Gray huddled in the upper left hand corner of the cell — the one furthest from the door. He tried to keep his muscles from looking tense and give off the appearance that he was subdued and defeated. Acting, however, wasn't his art of choice. Gray just hoped that the guards wouldn't look too closely. As Gray huddled in the corner, he turned his head slightly to watch the door. The bolt slid away, and the key turned in the lock. This was it. The door to his cell opened just a crack, and a brown bag was swiftly tossed inside before the door slammed shut.
"No!" Gray yelled, giving up his charade and racing towards the door. He banged on it again and again as the bolt slid back into place and the key locked it shut. "You bastards!" he swore, hearing their footsteps recede. "Let me out!"
It was as if Lyon knew exactly what Gray was planning to do and instructed his guards to act accordingly. Lyon prepared to counter Gray's new resolve to escape and stop his plans from coming to fruition. Gray swore again. He had forgotten just how smart Lyon was.
Hating his body for giving into his hunger and thirst, Gray reached for his meal. He angrily tore open the brown bag that his guards had left him. Inside, there was a hard loaf of bread and a bottle of water. It was probably the only meal he would receive, considering Lyon was planning on killing him that night. Begrudgingly, Gray tore into the bread and reassessed his situation. It seemed the only option for leaving the cell was when Lyon wanted to bring him to Lucy's execution. Lyon wouldn't want to take any chances of ruining his ultimate revenge. The bread turned sour in Gray's mouth at the thought.
Gray tossed the rest of the loaf of bread back into the bag. Unscrewing the cap, he drank half the bottle before deciding to save the rest for later. He paced the floor, trying to think of an alternative. There had to be something Gray could do in order to escape. He felt like a caged animal in that prison. The trapped feeling was causing him to lose his grip on his temper. The walls felt like they were pressing down on him as the minutes ticked by, bringing the hour of Lucy's demise ever closer.
"Damnit," he kicked the door, ignoring the jolt of pain that shot through his leg. "I need to get out of here." It was still morning, but time ticked away. Something could happen, making Lyon change his mind and move Lucy's execution further up. "Damnit. Damnit. Damnit." He struck the door again and again. He wasn't coming up with any answers. Stuck in this cell, he could do nothing to save his friend. "Damnit. Damnit. Damnit. Damn…"
He paused his fruitless assault on the door as the world suddenly spun out of focus. Throwing out his arms, Gray stopped his fall by pressing against the door. Waves of dizziness kept the world spinning around him. A numbness started spreading from his fingers and up his arms. He pushed off from the door and stumbled backwards. His legs began to feel like jelly as he collapsed to his knees.
"What's… What's happening to me?" Gray raised a hand in front of him, but his vision was distorted. His eyelids became heavier too. Why did he feel so drowsy all of a sudden? He had felt fine until… His eyes cut to the brown bag with his half-eaten bread and nearly-empty water bottle.
"Shit," he said as realization dawned on him. All of his symptoms led to one conclusion. Gray had been drugged. His symptoms were the same side effects his targets often exhibited when Gray worked for the Russian mafia. They had used a special kind of drug in order to grab targets without much hassle. His team would sneak the substance into the target's drink or food and wait. It was odorless, tasteless, colorless, and fast-acting, allowing the unassuming victim to feel the effects within minutes. The drug caused people to pass out for several hours, even if they only consumed a small dosage. It provided the mafia plenty of time to grab its target and transport the person to a secured location without any obstacles. If someone consumed a large enough dose, the drug could put them in a permanent comatose state. This fearsome drug was known as Moon Drip.
Moon Drip was coursing through Gray's veins, weighing him down. The need for sleep overwhelmed him. He couldn't fall asleep now. He needed to escape and save Lucy. Time was already so precious. Gray shook his head violently to try to keep himself awake. He had made a novice mistake by drinking the water, but he couldn't fight it any longer. The stone floor came rising to meet him as the drugs forced him into unconsciousness.
Water splashed on Gray, shocking him awake. Light from the hallway spilled into his cell from the open door, illuminating the space. He coughed and sputtered as he struggled to gain complete consciousness. Gray shook his head, blinking rapidly to remove the water from his eyes. Looking around, the first thing his brain registered was the little patch of sky, visible from the portal above. It was dark and littered with stars. While he had slept, the precious hours he needed to save Lucy had slipped away. Before he could comprehend his situation, another splash of water hit Gray, sending him into another coughing fit.
"That's enough," a voice commanded.
Gray forced his gaze away from the sky and took in the rest of his surroundings. He was still in his cell but not alone. Three guards stood over him. The one who spoke was dressed in a vintage 1950s green satin, brocade tuxedo jacket with matching green pants, white tuxedo shirt, and purple bowtie. He wore a silver mask that covered his entire face, except for his enormously large eyebrows peeking from the sides.
The second guard was the tallest out of the three, wearing slim fit black slacks, a black vest with gold buttons over a pressed white shirt, a black bowtie, and a velvet cranberry jacket that came to rest just below his waist. His held a burnished gold cane with a dog head on the handle, explaining the rest of the man's accessories. He wore dog ears on top of his head as well as a gold, chained necklace that was weighed down by a diamond-studded sock. To complete his bizarre look, the guard wore a gold mask that hid his face completely, except for his mouth.
If it weren't for the third guard, Gray would have thought Lyon had sent clowns to retrieve him. The third guard was a man of average height who wore black, tailored pants tucked into black, polished boots, and an ebony, double-breasted military uniform coat that bore gold epaulettes on each shoulder. Aiguillettes also hung from his right shoulder, and an ornamental rapier hung from his left hip. He fixed Gray with a hard glare that appeared more intimidating due to the man's black mask which only covered the area around his eyes.
"Stand him up," the guard in the green suit ordered. The remaining two guards tossed aside the empty buckets they were holding and reached for Gray. Gray struggled to stand, but slipped on the wet stones, hitting the ground hard. As he had tried to catch himself, he had realized that his arms were chained behind his back. The two guards hauled him to his feet.
"Get your hands off of me," he growled, struggling to break free of their grasp. The guard in the green calmly walked to Gray and forcefully punched him in the stomach. Gray bent over as the breath was knocked out of him. His knees shook, and if it weren't for the guards gripping each arm, Gray would have collapsed. The assault didn't stop there. The guard punched the left side of Gray's jaw, causing his head to whip to the right. Another three punches were landed on Gray's stomach before he felt fingers knit themselves into his hair, a vicious tug snapping his head back.
"Our Boss gets the pleasure of killing you," the guard said, his silver mask looming inches from Gray's face, "but he never said we couldn't have a little fun with you before he does." The guard let go of Gray's hair and tugged off his mask and green jacket. The man's bushy, squared black eyebrows were his most defining facial feature. He had black eyes and long blue hair that was braided down his back. "Let him go."
"Yuka, I don't think this is a good idea. The Boss might-" the guard on Gray's right, the one with the dog ears, started to speak before Yuka cut him off.
"Shut up, Toby. No one asked you to think." Yuka shot a glare towards the other guard who remained silent on Gray's left. "Do you have something to say, too?"
The guard didn't reply; he simply let go of Gray's arm and leaned against the wall. After a moment, Toby did the same. Yuka grinned wickedly, satisfied with the other guards' submission.
Yuka rolled up his sleeves and cracked his neck. "Now, let's have some more fun, shall we?"
Gray was fully alert now. When he had first woken up, the Moon Drip had kept his senses dull. The shock of seeing how much time had passed hadn't helped matters either. Gray was out of time; Lyon's guards were there to take him away, which meant Lyon was ready for Lucy's execution. There was only one option left to him now. He was going to have to fight his way out. Even though his hands were chained behind him, Gray wouldn't let that stop him from handling the three guards.
He let his tense muscles relax as Yuka approached him. He shifted a little to the right when Yuka swung at him. Yuka's fist only met air. A little taken aback, Yuka reeled his left fist back and swung at Gray again. Gray easily side-stepped his punch, sending Yuka careening towards the wall behind him. Yuka's thick eyebrows knitted further together the more Gray dodged his attacks.
Good, get angry. Become sloppier than you already are, Gray thought as he dodged attack after attack.
"Oooonnn. Yuka-" Toby clutched his cane tighter.
"Silence, Toby," Yuka snapped and turned back to Gray who was bouncing on his toes. "Damn. We should have shackled your feet too, and then you wouldn't be able to dodge all of my attacks."
"Even if my feet were shackled, I still could beat you." Gray stopped dodging Yuka's attacks and charged towards him, aiming a kick at Yuka's stomach. Yuka's eyes widened as he realized he couldn't avoid the hit. The silent guard appeared then and blocked Gray's attack, protecting Yuka. Before Gray could recover, the guard with the black mask grabbed hold of his leg and threw him against the cell wall. Gray cried out in pain from the impact.
"I don't need your help!" Yuka yelled. "I can handle that lowlife on my own. Don't make me remind you who's top rank here."
The silent guard shot Yuka a cold glare, which shut Yuka up fast. The guard exited the cell, signaling that Yuka's fun was over.
"Drag him outside," Yuka quickly ordered Toby as he tried to recover his composure. Toby did as he was ordered and helped Gray to his feet, following after the silent guard. Yuka, redressed, emerged from the cell last. He shot a look at the silent guard who rested a hand on the hilt of his rapier. "If I had unleashed my full power on him, he would be dead, and the Boss would not be happy about that." The guard didn't say anything, just strode down the hall. Yuka narrowed his eyes as he watched the guard's back. "Damn newbie," he muttered before placing his mask back on his face.
"Yuka," Toby whispered, sending a furtive glance at the third guard's back. "There's something I think you might-"
"Shut the hell up, Toby. I thought I made it clear. I don't want you to think; I want you to follow orders. Now get going." Yuka pointed down the hall. Toby hung his head down in submission and started walking Gray to his doom, Yuka bringing up the rear.
Gray's head was spinning. He was finally out of his cell, but he needed to get rid of his guards.
Shit, he thought. Yuka and Toby were nothing compared to the third guard. He couldn't fight the other guard with his hands chained like this. Gray had to think of something. The guard had moved so quickly that Gray hadn't even seen him move at all. Who the hell was he? And if Lyon had more guys like him, then rescuing Lucy was going to be more difficult than Gray had initially believed.
"You see that bridge coming up?" Yuka snickered behind him. "It's known as the Bridge of Sighs. Supposedly, when these cells were used for real, the view from the Bridge of Sighs was the last view of Venice that convicts saw before they were imprisoned forever. The prisoners would sigh at their final view of the beautiful city of Venice as they glimpsed it through the window. How fitting that you walk across it towards your death."
Venice! Yuka's little history lesson had just provided Gray with some crucial information. That would explain all of the water , Gray thought. If I'm still in Italy, I know of a couple of places to hide with Lucy. Gray's hope was restoring. He was out of his cell and now knew where he was located. However, once he left the dungeons, it would be more difficult to shake his guards. There could be more of Lyon's people roaming about, and Gray didn't have time to dispose of everyone. His teeth ground together as they came upon the Bridge of Sighs. Gray had to make a move. Immediately.
The silent guard had already made it to the middle of the bridge, before the rest of the group had even reached it. Taking advantage of this distance, Gray threw his entire body into Toby, slamming him into the side of the wall. Toby moaned as he hit his head against the stone walls. Yuka was shocked at Gray's sudden attack, gasping in fright. Gray spun on him, kicking Yuka in the stomach with a little more force than necessary to pay him back for his earlier punches. Yuka cried out and dropped to his knees, clutching his midsection. Gray sent a kick to the back of Yuka's head, rendering him unconscious. He whirled around to check on Toby, preparing for any of the man's counterattacks. Thankfully, Toby was already knocked out, slumped against the wall. Satisfied that the weaker guards were subdued, Gray turned towards the final and most difficult obstacle.
The third guard was leaning against the side of the bridge, his arms crossed as he stared at Gray. Gray was more than a little confused. When Gray had attacked Yuka back in his cell, the guard had protected the eyebrow man. The man had clearly heard Gray attacking his comrades, yet he hadn't made a move to stop Gray. The man uncrossed his arms and stood in the middle of the bridge, smirking at Gray. Gray narrowed his eyes at him. He didn't know why, but the guard was pissing him off without saying a single word.
Gray ran toward the guard, yelling as he jumped and aimed a kick at the man's head. The guard blocked Gray's kick and flung him away. Gray flipped in the air, tucking his body so he could bring his cuffed hands to the front and provide himself more control of his movements. The moment Gray's feet touched the ground, he used his momentum to spring into another attack. He sent a repetition of kicks at the guard, but the man dodged them easily.
He's fast , Gray thought as he dropped low and tried to swipe the guard's legs out from under him. The guard jumped, once again dodging Gray's attack. He landed a few feet away, smirking at Gray as he landed.
"I'd wipe that damn smirk off your face if it weren't for these chains," Gray snarled.
The guard laughed dryly, reaching into his coat, then flicking something over to Gray. Gray snatched the item out of the air. He opened his hand, and his eyes widened. A key! He didn't think twice as he quickly fitted it into the lock of his chains. The lock opened, and his chains fell away. They rattled as they fell to the ground before Gray kicked them away. The bandages on his wrists were bloodier, the wounds irritated by the chafing of the chains. Ignoring the pain, he moved into an offensive stance, shifting his feet apart and raising his fists in front of him. He would beat this guy, then rescue Lucy.
Gray launched himself at the guard, aiming a kick at the man's stomach. The guard deflected his kick again. Anticipating this, Gray used this kick as a distraction and threw out his fist while the guard shoved his leg away. His fist connected with the guard's jaw, the blow sending him stumbling backwards. Seeing the startled expression on the guard's face made Gray smirk to himself.
"See," Gray said, raising his fists once more, "I told you I'd wipe that damn smirk off your face."
The guard spat and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. However, Gray wasn't shaken up by the guard's glare this time. It had been years since Gray had been in an actual fight. Regardless, after landing that hit, he felt confident that he could beat the guard; the man was just some lowly lackey of Lyon's. Gray's muscles were all warmed up. He was ready for his opponent now.
"I thought the beating bushy brows gave you would be punishment enough for you," the guard said as he removed his rapier, tossing it aside. "I also thought you realized you don't stand a chance at beating me, but you really are an idiot." The man shook his head. "If you had come quietly and hadn't opened your damn mouth, the beating I was planning on giving you would have hurt a lot less." He cracked his knuckles and walked to Gray slowly. "Even though I really want to, I promise I won't kill you."
The guard closed the distance between them in an instant. The man punched Gray with his right fist, then twisted, sending his left foot hurtling towards Gray's right side. Gray barely managed to dodge it, but the man was waiting for him. He reached for Gray, grabbing his ragged shirt, and flung him across the bridge. Gray slammed into the bridge. He tried not to expedite processing the pain coursing through his body as he scrambled back to his feet.
Gray was on the defensive now. He tried to counterattack, but all his punches and kicks just met the air. The man was fighting differently than before. All of Gray's focus was on dodging the man's attacks, which were all aimed at vital areas. Gray could feel the bloodlust rolling off the guard; it was hot and aggressive, fueling the man's strikes. Despite the man's words, he seemed like he really was about to kill Gray.
The man kneed Gray in the stomach and jabbed his elbow down on Gray's back. Gray tried to hold in his cry of pain, but it burst from his lips. He dropped to the cold stone, breathing heavily. He looked up at the guard as he staggered to his feet again.
"It seems you're feeling chatty all of a sudden." Gray threw a few punches at the guard, but he dodged them easily. He retaliated with a punch of his own which had Gray tasting blood. "Did my punch really piss you off that much?"
"Your existence pisses me off," the man replied, catching Gray's punch and tugging Gray towards him. He punched Gray in the face, the impact of the attack causing Gray to stagger backwards. He landed roughly against the wall.
"Screw you. I don't have time for this," Gray yelled. "Step aside! I need to save Lucy."
"Save her? Isn't it because of you that's she's in this place right now? You're making her pay for the sins of your past. If you never existed, she wouldn't be here in the first place," the guard replied.
"I left my past behind me." Gray pushed off the wall and started attacking the guard again. "She was never supposed to be involved in any of this!"
"You can never run from your past." The guard dodged Gray's attacks, slipping behind him. He wrapped his arm around Gray's neck, securing him in a choke hold. Gray's hand dug into the man's arm, trying to break free of his grasp. The man's grip was like iron, and try as he might, Gray couldn't break free. "It's attached to you. No matter how far you think you've run, it will find you again. But when it does, you're supposed to be stronger than you were before. If you aren't, it will swallow you and anyone you care about."
The guard released Gray as he coughed and gasped for air, falling to the ground. Gray rolled onto his back. His entire body hurt from the beating the guard had given him, yet it was the man's words that had really struck him hard. Despite his growing hatred for this particular guard, he was right. Lucy was dragged into this because of him. He had run away from his past, but his past had not run away from him. Instead, it had lurked quietly in the shadows waiting to pounce and strike when it would matter most.
"I wasn't strong enough to stop Lyon from reaching Lucy," Gray admitted as he glared up at the guard who now stood over him. "But I'm strong enough to save her. Lucy's future won't be taken away because of my past. I'll stop Lyon. I'll defeat you or anyone else who tries to stand in my way. I'll rescue Lucy even if it costs me my life; I swear it!"
The guard's hand curled into a fist and shook slightly but then unfurled. He leaned down and offered his hand to Gray. "I'm going to hold you to that promise." With his other hand, the guard reached up and removed his mask. Gray gawked at the guard's identity. It had been weeks, but he would recognize the man anywhere.
"Natsu!" Gray shouted in disbelief. What the hell was the cotton-candy head idiot doing there? Gray hadn't seen him since their confrontation at Levy's apartment. Gray noticed that Natsu's hair was actually black now, but he still wore that infuriating smirk. He took Natsu's offered hand, and the treasure hunter helped him off the floor.
"Oi, princess, you look like shit," Natsu smirked. "And you smell like shit, too."
No wonder the guard irritated me so much. Gray ignored Natsu's jabs. "What are you doing here? How are you even here?"
Natsu rolled his eyes. "I'm here to rescue your sorry ass."
Gray snorted. "I don't need a flame brain such as yourself to rescue me. I can handle this on my own."
"You sure about that? Who was it that was passed out and still locked in his cell without a care in the world?" Natsu mocked. "Sure…you can definitely handle things just fine."
"I was drugged, damnit," Gray protested.
"You're a prisoner that has just been told your captor plans to kill you today. Why the hell would you eat or drink anything he offered you? Sounds like a mistake a lame-ass princess such as yourself would make."
Gray ground his teeth together. It had been a dumb move on his part. He was so absorbed with finding a way out of his cell, he didn't even think twice as he dug into his meal. It had been a mistake that nearly cost him his chance of escaping and saving Lucy.
Natsu walked past Gray and over to the unconscious body of Toby, nudging it with his boot. He started stripping Toby out of his clothes, tossing the articles of clothing to Gray. "Whether you want my help or not, you're getting it," Natsu continued on. "I'm not helping you because I like you or anything. If it was up to me, I would leave your corpse rotting back in that cell. I wasn't lying when I said I want to kill you." He narrowed his onyx eyes at Gray, tossing Toby's dress shoes over to him. "I know all about the sins you've kept tucked away in your past, Sterling Surge."
Gray would have thought Natsu was bluffing, but he called him by his real name. Plus, the look in his eyes made Gray realize that Natsu was telling the truth. Gray didn't know how, but Natsu knew. Everything. "How do you know that name?"
"That's unimportant." Picking up Gray's discarded shackles, Natsu dragged Yuka's unconscious body over to Toby's. "I don't give a damn about the blood on your hands or what you call yourself. I only care about the fact that Lucy's in danger because of your sins. I'm rescuing you because I made a promise to her that I would save you. That promise is the only reason why you're still breathing." He shackled the men together, cuffing Toby's right leg to Yuka's left arm.
"You promised her? She sent you to rescue me?" Gray's eyes widened. Did Lucy find out that I was kidnapped? Was that how Lyon captured her? And why did she ask Natsu for help of all people?
"Good boy, Toby," Natsu muttered as he patted Toby on his head. The key to the shackles lay in the middle of the bridge. Natsu picked it up and tossed it over the edge as he made his way back to Gray. "Yes to both. But don't get me wrong, if anything happens to Lucy, I'll kill you. Promise or no promise, I promise I'll give you the punishment you deserve for risking Lucy's life," Natsu declared, his gaze hard and serious.
Gray matched Natsu's gaze with his own. Lucy was Gray's best friend. Why was Natsu acting so protective of her? It had only been a few weeks since he had last seen the two of them together. Gray wondered what had transpired in those past few weeks to make Natsu care for Lucy so deeply.
"You shouldn't have come here," Gray protested. "You shouldn't have rescued me."
"Damn, swallow your pride," Natsu lectured. "So what if you're a damsel in distress. Just be grateful that-"
Gray grabbed fistfuls of Natsu coat, his hands shaking with rage as he glared daggers into him. "If you knew Lucy was in danger, then why the hell did you waste your time rescuing me? You should have gotten her out first. Fuck your promise, you should have-"
Natsu punched Gray so hard in the stomach, Gray felt like his organs had turned to mush. Instead of letting him fall to the floor, Natsu grabbed the collar of Gray's shirt and slammed him against the stone wall. The impact made his bones rattle inside of his already bruised body. Natsu raised his fist and punched the wall besides Gray's head, yelling loudly before tossing Gray away. Gray landed roughly on the stone floor, staring up wide-eyed at Natsu who was still fuming. Something dark blazed in Natsu's onyx eyes as he leered down at him, something that terrified Gray tremendously.
"Don't you dare tell me to break a promise to someone ever again," Natsu roared. The anger seemed like a living thing, squirming in Natsu's eyes. "You want to know something? If I hadn't rescued you first, I would have never kept that promise. I would have taken Lucy to safety and then killed everyone in this building. Including you."
Gray believed him. Not only that, Gray believed Natsu had spent many hours debating with himself on doing just that. He realized the truth of Natsu's words from earlier: 'I'm rescuing you because I made a promise to her that I would save you. That promise is the only reason why you're still breathing.'
"Even though you put Lucy's life in danger, I'll put that fact aside. For now." Natsu sighed loudly, seeming to physically expel his anger. He dragged a hand over his face, and when he looked at Gray, his eyes were no longer blazing with that dark fury. "I promised Lucy I would save you and bring you both back to New York safely. And I will." Natsu offered his hand to Gray. Gray stared at the offered hand for a moment, but then took it. "So now, let's work together and save Lucy and get you both the hell out of here."
In those 15-or-so minutes, Natsu had given Gray many more reasons to hate him. However, he could see that Natsu's resolve to save Lucy matched his own. He clasped Natsu's arm, agreeing to work together to save his friend. However, once Lucy was safe from Lyon, Gray had to think of a way to keep her safe from Natsu as well. Gray didn't think he would hurt Lucy, but Natsu was dangerous. There was no doubt in Gray's mind about that.
"You haven't answered any of my questions," Gray pointed out, releasing Natsu's arm. There were so many things that weren't adding up. How did Natsu get here? How did he learn about his past? And where did he learn to fight like that? There was no way Natsu's fighting skills could have been learned without having experienced actual combat. There was no denying that Natsu was an experienced fighter. During their fight, Gray could tell that Natsu had still been holding back. His movements were too controlled, his attacks too precise. Gray eyed Natsu suspiciously. "You're not really working for Lyon, are you?"
"No," Natsu scoffed. "Could you try and not be so thick?" Infiltrating Lyon's operation was no easy task, and yet there Natsu was. Not only had he infiltrated it, he had helped freed Gray. Was it all really to keep a promise he had made to Lucy? "Ugh," Natsu groaned, turning away. "Will you change into those clothes already? You smell horrible, and that mask will cover up enough of your face that I won't have the overwhelming urge to punch it or vomit or both." Natsu crossed the Bridge of Sighs. He stepped on the hilt of his rapier he had dropped, sending the blade spiraling in the air. He snatched it before it could drop back to the ground, holding the blade in front of him. "And don't take all night, princess." Natsu smirked wickedly before slashing the air with the blade. "I have other promises I need to keep."