Chapter IV

Laxus came back the very next morning. He listened through the door; no noise. No one else was there. He knocked on the door, not expecting any answer, but he got one.

Gajeel cracked the door open slowly, making a loud creaking sound. The room was dark, and he could barely see the figure before him. He knew it was Gajeel. His head was bowed and he played with his…pale toes. He lifted his head slightly, enough to reveal the mark on his neck, which was bleeding. "Please…h-hel…" He fell on the floor, to his knees, "L-L-Laxus…p-please…"

Laxus froze. This was the biggest problem he'd ever run into in his life. He had no idea what to do, but push him back inside and lock the door behind him. He watched Gajeel lay on his side on the floor, "T-there's a light switch o-over…o-over the…" He started pointing towards the light switch, but failed. Laxus found it, and pulled it.

Gajeel was a mess.

His body was practically painted purple with bruises, and his shirt was torn a bit. Every tear he saw revealed slashes on his skin. He looked like he just pulled on pajama pants. Laxus pulled him on the couch (after putting it back where it belonged, the living room) and looked at his wounds. "L-Laxus…"

"Tell me Gajeel."

He frowned. Laxus sighed, "Look, I know it's hard, I've been through this with Free- uhm, a friend, but this," He pointed to his wounds, "…Looks like HELL, Gajeel. You're hurting yourself. If you don't tell me now, who knows what could happen at this rate?" Gajeel looked at him with sad eyes, "…don't you understand?" He said softly.

After a long moment of silence and hesitation, he nodded. Gajeel sat up and wrapped his legs in his arms. "I-It's…José."

"…José?"

"That's…h-his name."

"Of Phantom? Why the hell is he here?" Laxus noticed him cringe. He sat on the couch beside him, and held his head, "What is he doing here? Why the hell is he doing this-?"

"I screwed up."

"…what do you mean?"

Gajeel changed his position; Laxus let him rest his head on his lap. "Laxus…years ago, he said that the next time I messed up, he'd…violate me." He curled himself up into a ball, "He tortured me…Laxus…He…he raped me…" He whispered, and held his head, "He RAPED me!" He screamed into his shirt. Laxus froze; Gajeel was stuck in a situation only he knew about. Wait…

"Gajeel…where's Lily?"

"…Lily?" He looked up at him...his mouth agape. Laxus took him by the arms and pulled him upstairs. His room was worse than downstairs. The bed (just a mattress) was torn in half. One half sat in a corner with blood stains, pretty much dyed red, and the other was thrown out a window, along with large pieces of glass.

… A corner with blood stains…

Laxus saw this and grabbed Gajeel by the arm again, "Let's go."

Erza kicked down the door to Gajeel's home, and encountered hell. Natsu pushed her out of the way, "Oh he did NOT start a fight without me! That bastard-!" He was grabbed by the collar by Erza, "LOOK HERE!"

"E-Erza! You can't talk yet; you'll hurt your lungs-!"

"Shut up, Lucy!"

Lucy backed off.

"Natsu," She growled, "There's been a jail break, and this person is after our guild! Gajeel TURNED on us! If we don't kick his ass now, everyone could die! Now stop FUCKING around and LOOK for the bastard!"

It rained, hard. Laxus and Gajeel were drenched, and Gajeel's wounds began to sting. Laxus pulled him along the city, getting looks from other people. He cursed them under his breath. Gajeel was almost dragged when he fell over. "Gajeel…!"

"Laxus…" He was brushed off and they continued running.

"He ain't here!" Natsu tossed the other half of his bed out the window.

"Neither is Lily!" Lucy entered the room. Erza took Natsu by the hand, "Can you pick up his scent?"

"What!? I ain't a DOG, Erza!" He was pushed over, "Natsu!" She threw a sock at him. They tracked his scent. "This way!"

Laxus followed a bloody trail, in hopes of finding Lily, into an abandoned factory. The door was kicked down. The rain fell, like a waterfall, through the holes in the roof, and the shattered windows. The blood splatters grew larger as they ran, and saw a dark figure sitting in the middle of the dusty room. It was missing limbs.

It was missing limbs.

"Here!" Natsu yelled. The rest of his group ran to the doors of the factory to find Laxus and Gajeel, Gajeel on his knees. Natsu ran up to him, almost attacking him, but Lucy stopped him, "Natsu!" He saw what they stared so blankly at. Gajeel fell on his back held up by just his arms, not breathing. He's whispering, muttering to himself…

"Gajeel?"

"He's d-…h-he…" His arms went numb and he fell, resting on his back, "H-he's…he's dead…"

The rain stopped. The sky was almost clear with small patches of clouds. The winds were calm, the city was peaceful, the funeral was quiet.

Gajeel was granted to sit in the front, but he couldn't bear to see the casket before him. He stayed in the very back, leaning on Laxus' shoulder, silent. He dressed as well as he could; some jeans and a white button-up shirt. He tugged on Laxus' tie. "Laxus?"

"Yeah?" He whispered.

"You…you don't think…" He hesitated.

"…don't think what?"

"…that…that I de-deserve…" Laxus lightly brushed his hands through his hair, pulling out the tangles, and whispered, "No."

Pantherlily was buried near a river, on a hill, similar to the one that looked like where he'd met Coco on Edolas, but more green, and peaceful. He came here once a month in memory of her. The guild mates threw roses on his casket and waited for Gajeel's signal to let down the casket.

Laxus had to give the signal.

Everyone went home after hours at the hill, except Gajeel and Laxus. He sat right next to Lily. He could hear him muttering; he's talking to him. Gajeel placed his hand on the dirt, and looked down. "Lily…"

The guild never realized how close those two were, as much as they showed it; they never showed all of it. Not until today. He and Laxus stayed there until the sun had set. The stars were just appearing in the sky. He could see the town. The markets were beginning to close and more black markets were opening. He noticed Lucy and Plue, walking on the edge of the bridge near the river, also taking notice the river had turned into town. There were no boats out to warn her of falling. She fell. Laxus couldn't help but smile when he noticed Gajeel say, "Finally."

"You saw?"

He nodded, and pat the dirt Lily rested under. He stood up, "I…can't go home."

"It's okay, I know." Laxus walked towards him, "I can take you to my house. It's awfully far, though."

"N-no…I can't do that either…" Laxus was stunned, "What do you mean?"

"I have to leave!" Gajeel shouted, then bowing his head, "I…need to leave the guild…the town. Alone."

"You can't go alone!"

"I have to!" Tears immediately fell from his eyes, down his cheeks, "I can't stay! ...I don't want anyone else to get HURT, let alone KILLED!" He grabbed Laxus' shirt, "I can't…!" Laxus grabbed his shoulder, letting him speak. Gajeel pointed to Lily's grave, "THIS is MY fault! THIS is what could happen to everyone else! Natsu, Levy, JUVIA! …Juvia…I don't want her killed…please…"

Laxus held Gajeel up by the chin, and whispered, "You can go, but you are NOT going out there alone. Not while I'm still standing."

"Is Gajeel WITH or AGAINST us!?" Natsu slammed his fists on the table, "What led us to believe THIS bullshit in the first place!?"

Makarov stepped in, gaining everyone's attention. He stood in the center of the guild holding a bag. He turned the bag upside down, emptying it of its contents; taffy. Erza was held back by Gray. "This was given to us by past associates of Gajeel." He sighed, "It contained an ingredient to trick us into thinking he was against us."

"Who the hell…" Natsu growled under his breath.

"There HAS been a jail break, but Gajeel had no intention on helping, I'm sure. But this person is very…connected to him." Erza stepped forward.

"B-but why would LILY die!? He had to have been involved! They found him, right?"

"Yes…" He sighed again, "I suppose what's going on had…caught up to him. Levy, Erza, I want you two to lead everyone and solve this case."

And with that, he left the hall.

Erza began connecting Gajeel to everyone he knew, including Fairy Tail. She even included those of Phantom Lord that she knew of; The Element Four, the master, and a few other members. Levy and her team went around town, asking people that knew of Phantom Lord's members. Natsu's team went to his house.

"Why isn't Gajeel here?" He complained.

Lucy spoke, annoyed, "Natsu, Lily's dead. Who are we to bother? Get OUT of his underwear drawer."

"Why do these have holes in the worst possible places?"

Everyone stopped searching, and stared at him. The drawer had been torn threw, and each pair of underwear was ruined. Gajeel couldn't be that stupid…unless… "He must get crazy erections!"

"NATSU."

"What? LOOK AT THIS."

"NATSU."

Laxus took Gajeel out of Magnolia, to a hotel they'd stay in until they found a suitable home. It had a pool, and stood near a shore, giving them an excellent view. Gajeel sat on the balcony watching the waves. He wore Laxus' old shirt; a red one with a lightning bolt. He had different ones in different sizes, because it was "lucky." Laxus walked outside and sat beside him, "Don't think about this too much."

"…"

"Come here."

Gajeel quickly moved from his seat, into his embracing arms. He rested his head on his bare chest. Laxus was…warm. He could sleep here. Laxus stroked his hair, helping him relax. "Let's try to have a good time here, okay?"

"Okay."

Laxus stood him up, "Let's go eat dinner."