Summary: Natsu and Gray have been forced to complete a quick simple mission together. That is, until they are attacked, knocked unconscious and forced to be put on auction for slave owners and crazy scientists. Now they have to stick together for support and strength because if they don't, they may never see their Guild again.
Word Count: 1515
A/N: You know having someone rob your store that you work at, waving a gun in your face – just so they can get money – isn't very pleasant. It's quite scary. Now I'm scared of men in ball caps – ahhh fear is a scary thing. Anyway, here's a fun update!
Warning: cussing is in here (obviously) OH! Blood, not too much. Some spelling/grammar errors if I didn't catch them
Disclaimer: I don't own anything, but if I did…I would put JUVIA AND GRAY TOGETHER ALREADY *cough cough* Hiro *cough cough*
He remembers falling.
His mind was a blur up until that point, but he remembers falling backwards. Streams of red traced Natsu's last point before they tumbled backwards. His wanted to scream Natsu's name, to try and show that he really was still there for his friend. But his throat had seized up on him and he fell backwards with what seemed like a lifeless Natsu.
He sensed his unresponsive body plummet towards the forest floor, his stomach turning as he felt the first tree branch crack against his dead weight. It didn't even take a second before he was forced into another branch, his back flaring up in pain. He must have really bad luck, because the next branch slammed into the back of his head and he was sent tumbling forward. He rolled headfirst, the world being seen through a dark tunnel, and his chest collided against another branch. He was convinced that he blacked out because the next thing he knew was that the ground rammed against his left elbow as he tumbled and rolled, coming to an oblivious halt.
He woke up, what seemed to be, hours later. His chest sung with uncanny agony, and a massive migraine shook his world. He blinked, mind racing over foggy memories and he shut his eyes against the glaring sun. His left arm would flare in pain any time he tried to move, but Gray moaned and rolled to his side, gripping his throbbing chest. He felt awful.
He scrunched his eyes, fighting against the pounding migraine and flaring chest ache. He took deep breaths, his rib cage hurting in the process – but he needed to slow down and try to remember. But all he could recall was the experiment.
The pain of each vial stuck into his skin, the agony of that fucking machine.
He squeezed his eyes tighter, trying to rid himself of those memories, but they came back clearer than ever. He swallowed, his breath catching in his throat. His breath quivered, his hands shook against his chest.
He blacked out.
He woke up to Shiro's face.
Gray screamed and lurched backwards; mind racing against the fog that still lingered in his mind. His actions brought him into a sitting position, his right hand shooting out in the process. Looking around, Gray shook as he noticed his 'owner' was nowhere to be seen. He swallowed, and tried to steady his trembling hand by pressing it against his chest. It was at this moment when Gray noticed Natsu lying a few feet away. His breath hitched.
Underneath Natsu was a dried pool of blood and the Fire Mage was unmoving. Gray panicked. He pressed his right hand against the ground and tried to stand. Underneath his weight, his legs crumbled and he tumbled to the floor. Hitting his left arm, Gray shrieked, the pain racing up his limb and spreading throughout his nervous system. He clasped his arm and rolled onto his back, tears pricking the corners of his eyes. He tried to relax as he looked towards Natsu and strained not to think of the last time he saw Natsu this lifeless…
Gray squeezed his eyes shut and bit his lip. He needed to make sure Natsu was all right.
It took a while, but he managed to make his way over to his friend. He hoped that Natsu would be all right, but his hopes were in vain when the bastard had proven that he wasn't even close to being all right.
Gray swallowed thickly when he kneeled in his friends somewhat dried blood, a few puddles caking his knees.
Natsu had bruises blossoming all along his arms and legs; his face was littered with tiny cuts, blood dripping from a nose cut and into his eye. There were trivial injuries that Gray glanced over because the two large bullet holes in his friends shoulder and chest seemed more significant. However, upon greater inspection, Gray had noticed that the bullet hole lodged into Natsu's chest was burned shut. The shoulder wound hadn't held such a fate as the chest, because it still seemed to be sluggishly bleeding.
Gray jumped to action his trembling hands reaching out and clasping around the bullet hole. He didn't know what he was supposed to be doing, he just guessed and hoped whatever he was doing was the right thing to do.
His hands trembled above Natsu's shoulder wound as he pressed onto his friends' injury. Gray tried to settle his fears but his mind kept racing back to when Natsu was dead in front of him. He tried to think of something different, and his shaking slowly transformed into trifling tremors. He thought of home, of his guild mates, and of his team. He thought of Lucy and Erza, Happy and Juvia. He thought of how he needed to get Natsu back – to make sure the bastard lived to see another day. And his tremors paused for a moment.
Gray took this time to cover Natsu's injures with ice. He didn't think it would work, because last time he tried to produce magic, it didn't listen to him. He was useless and weak…but he couldn't have that happen now. Not with Natsu's life on the line.
So Gray closed his eyes, listened to his heartbeat and settled his erratic breathing to a paced inhale and exhale. What happened next was both beautiful and terrifying.
He felt his ice race across Natsu's shoulder, sensed his magic dig into the bullet wound and save his friends life. Gray held his breath and felt serene. Finally after all the shit he and Natsu were put through, they could finally go home.
Gray didn't want this peaceful moment to end.
He shouldn't have opened his eyes.
Natsu was dead, his neck turned at an odd angle and his eyes open, gawking into nothing. His bullet wounds, once thought burned and frozen shut, had opened and spilled blood like a water fountain. It was at this moment Gray gasped, his breath catching in his throat, and he fell backwards, his arm jumping over his mouth that threatened to screech.
Gray pushed himself backwards, his breathing erratic once again. His life began to swim with the overall feeling of dread and anxiety clogged his chest. His back hit a tree and he curled into himself. "I'm going crazy," Gray muttered, his fingers lacing in his hair. "This is crazy…Na-Natsu…he…he," Gray shut his eyes and felt his body tremble with terror. His head started to become faint, his eyes began to burn, "He can't…he – no he cant…"
"…Gray?"
Gray stopped his awareness suddenly becoming very loud.
"Are," something groaned, "are you alright?"
Gray shuddered and dug his hands into his scalp. "You're not real," he muttered to himself. "You're not real," because that voice belonged to a person who was dead, who he killed.
"G-Gray," the voice became urgent, "Hey…talk to me, dumbass."
A hand landed on his knee and Gray quickly jumped. He looked up; his hands trembling against his head as anxiety still clung to him like a wet rag. He was met with Natsu's blistering gaze.
"Gray," Natsu steadied his voice, "Its alright. Everything is alright."
The Ice Mage swallowed, his spit and mucus clogging his throat. "N…Natsu?"
"Hey, what the hell is wrong with you," Natsu allowed himself to fall back onto his behind. "You looked like you were having a panic attack."
"Natsu," Gray shook his head, "I – I thought you were dead." He dropped his head and curled into himself. He shook, his mind trying to process what was happening. Nothing made sense and nothing seemed real. "I thought…I thought I killed you."
"What," Natsu asked, his voice shuddering. "Gray, didn't we go over this? I'm fine, you're…fine, everything is fine."
"No," Gray shook his head, his mind flashed with what he had seen. "No, you were dead…fucking dead."
"Gray," Natsu's voice was stern. A hand suddenly landed on the Ice Mages shoulder and Natsu shook Gray. "Snap out of it. You need to pull yourself together. Shiro and everyone he owns will come after us, we need to move."
"I…" Gray squeezed his eyes shut and dug his nails into his scalp. He needed to trust Natsu…he needed to trust his friend. Slowly, Gray steadied his breath and shook his head. "…Right," He slurred and gradually looked up. He forced himself to look at Natsu, to understand the bastard wasn't dead, but very much alive.
"Alright," Natsu steadied his grip and gave the Ice Mage a forced smile, "let's go home."
A/N: Its not over yet, we…well they, still have to fight the big bad wolf and get home. So maybe, I'm thinking, 4 or 5 more chapters – if I'm laying the story out correctly. So hopefully nothing shitty will happen to me this week, so that I can post next weekend! Also, oh man last chapter, does anyone else get the vibe that someone's going to die? Ohhh I hope Hiro has the balls to kill off someone (mainly Gray using Iced Shell) I'm not crazy you are…
EternalFlem401- Well you know me, I love killing! Stab, stab, stab, stab, stab, stab! Kill, kill, kill, kill, kill! Lol, Oh man…
Lilymoon9- Ahh! I did update soon *looks at watch* …Only a month later…Oh well hopefully this chapter will hold you over until next update
PokeTail- YAY TEARS! I bathe in the tears of my readers (don't ask how I get them) Ans yes I have decided if they will live or die! But if they live that won't be a good ending…well for me. – I mean, what? I never said that.
SkillzR3solve89- Aww, I love you too!
Cristallina- It his turn to suffer, his list of injuries are much worse than Gray's. Mainly with the whole, hearing people, seeing Gray's demon side, sleep deprivation, not eating, feeling almost dead inside. While Gray's is, panic attacks, nightmares, and fear of using his magic. But that's just the emotional things…
Viperhat- Imma cry! I'm really going to cry! AH! So nice! Super nice! Really I cried when I read that review…thank you so much!
Anniegirl132- Ahh did you get my joke at the beginning! Ahahahah so funny…cliffhangers and they fell off a cliff! HA! I'm hilarious! (This is why I don't write humor)
SashaMonroe- thank you so much!
Neul Shin- Ahh! Thanks! I know this chapter wasn't as suspenseful, but next one will help with that (I hope)
AsDarknessSpreads- Soon, maybe – if they live through the battle…*smiles
MO-5431- Thanks! I hope, when the guild finds out, I get their reactions right.
Just Me- AHH! Yes the humor in which I possess is quite amazing is it not…its kind of dark, oh well!
TheShadowInDarkness- Aww thanks! Will do, I'm definitely going to finish this story!
Abi- Don't die just yet... ahaha xD
FalynELF- is that you IcePrinceRay? Nah he fell, after Natsu was shot he let go of Gray and they fell back without holding onto each other.
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