Warning: Spelling errors. Grammatical mistakes.
Disclaimer: Fairy tail is not mine.
Italics for flashback, people.
Shivering hands fiddle with the cold metal curve at the hilt of Gray's gun hidden out of sight to the driver steering the wheels upfront.
Just in case. Just in case he'd need this.
He left without saying a word to Erza, who's probably awake by now and spewing fire at their shared house. Mizu-chan would probably be home now to her true parents who just lived a few blocks away from their flat.
Somehow, a tinge of doubt crossed the hitman's mind and wanted him to go back: Take her hand and run away.. Forever.
But he knows fully well that wouldn't do a single thing what Gray would want for Erza to have: a peaceful life. In the first place, ot was only because of him that the scarlet's life was in danger, anyway.
But he made a decision, anyway. And the way he stares at the two thin silver rings on his hand glinting in the place half-moon by the window, he is determined to uphold his decision. "I'm sorry." he whispers to the wind and put them back to his chest.
Gray's hands fiddle at the cold metal curve at the hilt of his gun hidden out of sight to the driver steering the wheels upfront. And he does that for a mother minute or two before the wheels screech to a stop in front of a familiar sight of a building.
He turned his back for a moment's glance.
Just in case.
He cocks his gun, fully loaded, against the eerie silence that loomed over the surrounding. The shadows that had been following him steps out of their hiding spots. Then all began to blur for Gray, his fingers automatically moving itself as his blood went cold. Gunshots rang everywhere, blood is splattered all over the ground but the dull look on his face doesn't falter a bit. Gray is already used to this.
The feeling is back like a bliss of summer. Only, this feeling he once lived for, he now hated. The black shadows engulfing his senses is not threatening to him for he once grew with it, but now he wants to escape from. And there's one more thing he wants to run away from, but this time he is admittedly scared to do so.
A shadow steps out of the looming darkness, moonlight bathing and revealing a heavy build of a man in 60s, with terrifying steel black glares and a large scar running under a black eye patch. "Father.."
Some people call him Master, Lord, Commander, General.. But Gray calls him his father. The sour taste upon speaking the name made Gray want to take it back. His foster father had been the one to take him under his wing, and he was taught to fear him.. Obey, and never question him and nothing would go wrong. Fear was what took Gray in prison and made him a lifeless killing machine, all for the things he had to go through just to learn the lesson.
The owner of the name spoke in a low, piercing and slow voice, "You dare say I am your father and yet you disobey me?"
Gray doesn't answer. He doesn't want to. He knew sooner or later his organization would know about his betrayal to the code, and just because they're greedy jealous freaks who wanted the favor of his foster father, of course they had to bring the news and tarnish his name in front of his father.
Gray looks up to meet those cold black orbs, and is surprised by the next thing the man spoke, "But you are my son, I know well the feeling when you are temporarily blinded by useless attachment."
But it is not useless, Gray would've wanted to say. It is not simple attachment.
The older man continues,".. I am your father. I am willing to forgive you for killing half our family, even for betraying our code, even for turning against me."
Gray seethes of anger, he wanted to say something to his father.
The old man holds out his wrinkly hands towards the raven, "Come back to me. To our family."
But it was no family. It was a living prison of hell.
"..Leave that scarlet alone." the man added. Gray's senses froze in shock as his foster father deliberately shown pieces of red strands that Gray was solely reminded of one person. He couldn't.. He wouldn't have..
".. Wha- WHAT did you do to Erza!?" the strain was on Gray's voice and he barely manages to hide the intent to kill the man on the spot, which would've been disrespectful and rude enough but he wasn't in the right mind to care for any of it anymore.
"Ho? Was that her name? How sweet. But may I remind you she wouldn't have been... Dragged into this if it wasn't for you, Gray."
Gray felt ashamed and helpless in front of this man. To him, Gray was as easy as an open book to read: he knows every nook and cranny and he's got them easy on the palm of his hands. Gray felt pathetic. It was useless, the mere presence of his father shook him enough to cower in fear. Going up against someone who made him the man he is now is suicidal.
"I saved you from your pathetic excuse of a life back at the Tower, fed you food and everything you needed, I gave you life. And yet you have the nerve to do this, but as a father, I am willing to have you back.. You don't have to think so much, Gray. Come and let's go home."
He's right. Gray owes this man his life, literally. For a vague moment he wanted to start wondering why he got himself into this mess. Everything would've been fine if he didn't meet her; he wouldn't doubt all of these things he thought he believed if it wasn't for her; he wouldn't have loved her if he hasn't met her. Gray's life wouldn't be as complicated like this if he hadn't loved Erza...
Is this the life he wanted?
A young girl's voice echoed inside his head that caught him off-guard, What life would you have wanted if we could escape the Tower?
I don't know.. He heard himself say but then he can't remember the next thing he would've said.. The girl's name, he couldn't remember.
He really doesn't know, why he is actually thinking over these little fragments of his past IN THE MIDDLE of all of this. What he do know is..
Whatever life he wanted.. It wasn't like this.
"Father.. I'm sorry for being the ungrateful son to you.." Grays spoke in a soft tone, not looking straight into his father's eyes. The man smirked in satisfaction.
But a hand stops Gray from continuing, a warm hand that gripped on his right arm that made that sinister smirk fade into a deep scowl. "Don't listen to him.. Gray, don't throw away who you truly are."