Chapter 4: Fateful Encounter
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Blurry scenery filled his vision as the sunlight pierced his eyelids, making them open in curiosity; his mind began wondering where he was until his body bolted upright, forcing his eyes to focus as he took in his surroundings. A bedroom, which likely belonged to a single male in his 40's with a boring job, adorned in navy blue curtains along with a single desk and dresser. Pain spiked his senses as the injury from last night came rushing back as if on reflex, he reached for his gun but to no avail and it was then he noticed something. He wasn't wearing his shirt anymore and his torso up to his shoulder was wrapped securely with gauze bandage; now where was his gun?
"Looking for something?" A voice caused muscles to tense under its tanned cover while cobalt eyes hardened as he glared at the source: a male, his age walking into the room before stopping in front of the bed where Natsu sat tensed up before holding out meekly.
The rosette snatched it away from the raven-haired male before him; adding onto his deduction that the 40-something had a child or something. Something about the other seemed to make him relax: "Sorry, just forget you saw me," he apologized as he forced himself to get up despite the pain bouncing around in his body.
"A little hard to do that when I find you passed out in front of my car with a bleeding from your stomach," The raven's retort rubbed him the wrong way as it came out; Natsu slammed the other against the wall threatening if he didn't he'd kill him before walking off but something caught his eye.
If it wasn't for last night, he might have ignored the tinge of familiarity of something so small; he stopped by the dresser staring down at the cup of coins. Staring down at the pieces of silver ranging from quarters to nickels. Staring at the piece of silver that resembled a nickel but wasn't...
"Where did you get this?" He reached inside and removed the piece, recognizing instantly the insignia embossed on the coin.
"Get what?" stepping closer to get a better look before replying, "Oh, I got it as change in transaction... probably from my recent-OOPH!" His words were cut off when Natsu slammed him against the wall again.
"Who are you?" The snarl that ripped the rosette's lips as anger rushed around in his body; the coin belonged to his comrade whose been missing for a month, to the person Levi has been waiting for, Gajeel Redfox.
"Shouldn't I be," another thrust of his forearm against the pale throat, "Alright... alright, my name is Gray Fullbuster..." The other introduced himself as the rosette released him.
The raven moved away from him but not fast enough to avoid being knocked unconscious by a hit to the back of the head; cobalt eyes watched as the limp body fell onto the bed. Taking a few items from around the house, Natsu bound and gagged the raven male before tossing him over his shoulder then carrying him out. Carefully placing him in the backseat of the car, the rosette hot-wired the car before driving away heading for the nearest recognizable landmark before heading back to the organization house.
"NATSU!" Levi and Loki raced out of the house to greet their bandaged friend upon pulling up the vast European-style house in the black Honda Civic.
"I'm fine, Levi... Relax," Natsu chuckled at the teary-eyed girl.
"Erm... Natsu? Whose that?" Loki's questions drew his attention to the now-conscious hostage in the backseat.
"Long story, help me get him inside - into the interrogation room,"
Together they were able to get Gray past anyone who might be watching their actions and into the room on their left upon entering the house. The room was dimly-lit with nothing but the people inside to add color or variation to the room; Loki stood behind his friend against a wall and watch as a mediator just in case. Natsu tore the gag from the raven's mouth, who immediately sobbed: "Look, I don't know who you are... Just please don't kill me,"
Removing the blindfold, the rosette sighed: "I ain't gonna kill you..."
Onyx eyes widened in surprise as he asked: "Then why-" but was cut off by Loki who answered the obvious question, "We only wish to talk to you, isn't that right Natsu?"
"...yeah," The short pause set the young raven on edge just a little; all he had really done was treat a guy who was bleeding out and this is the thanks he gets for not calling a hospital and instead treating it himself.
"Gray, wasn't it? This coin," holding it out so the raven could see, "where did you get it again?" Natsu's voice was strained as if trying to hold back the urge to beat the answers out of the poor raven.
"I told you... I probably got it from my last trip to the grocery store," His eyes had grown accustom to his dim surroundings to tell that there wasn't anything in the room but the three of them.
"When was that?"
"A few days ago... why?"
"Natsu, are you sure you know what you're doing?" Loki's question broke their conversation rhythm; the rosette glanced back before grounding out: "Because this is Gajeel's coin,"
"You don't know that, Natsu... We all got the same coin upon entering... it could anyone's"
"But Gajeel is the only one missing, dammit!" Natsu roared, clenching his hands into tight fist while Gray watched a little fearful of his own safety from the floor.
"What were you thinking bringing him here anyway?" Changing the topic, Loki seemed to give the vibe they would talk about Gajeel later - a vibe that his friend felt loud and clear.
"I'unno," The atmosphere in the room changed drastically as Natsu scratched his chin displaying a childish expression that resembled clueless to the now-confused raven, still sitting on the floor.
"Gramps... is gonna really let you have it..." Loki sighed in defeat; he may owe his life to his comrade but he could be a bit of an idiot sometimes.
"Oh shit," his body went ridged as he shakily glanced back, "you're right," his voice echoed like a ghost off the walls.
Gray, growing tired with the way things were going, growled up at his captor: "Oi! Are you gonna let me go or not?" earning two sets of deadpanned expressions from the other that only made him more on edge.
The door to his left opened making both Natsu and Loki jump back in surprise as 'Gramps' walked in with a stern expression on his face while speaking as if answering the raven's question: "Now that you are here, you cannot leave like you came..."
"You can't be serious," He ignored the pale-faced reactions he got from the other teens as he retorted, thinking about his job; Gray had already taken one day off because of the rosette's limp body.
"What's your name, my boy?" The old man asked, walking closer to the bounded teen.
"Gray Fullbuster..."
"Levi, would be a dear and give me as much info as you can in five minutes,"
"Of course," Levi's form could be heard rushing up the wooden steps and the next five minutes was the longest five minutes the raven ever experienced before.
Gramps glanced back just as Levi rounded the corner with a small stack of paper; she handed the elder man the stack, who went straight into summarizing its content: "Gray Fullbuster... Age 21... Office worker at Legion Corporation... not bad... no record... it says you attended Marvell Medical College... and that you worked for their hospital for a few years... so how come you're not a doctor anymore?"
"N-no r-reason," His quick response made his voice quiver, only proving there was more to the story that what was previously stated.
"Oh really," leafing through the next few pages until he stopped and spoke again: "So tell me what went wrong during Daichi Shinagawa's operation?"
Onyx eyes widened as his head sunk down before muttering, "n... nothing... I did everything by the book," looking up to stare hard up at the old man, "I double-checked with his other doctors about the medicine he had been on, if he had any other medical conditions... everything I did everything right but he... he still died a week later,"
"I read about the incident... a brilliant surgeon ripped apart and only on further investigation did I notice something wasn't matching up," The man knelt down behind Gray and untied the cloth wrapped securely around the wrist.
A hollow laugh, "So what are you saying...?"
"I'm saying I'm offering you a choice to join my organization to take down corrupt people, to indulge in chaos, and most of all: saving lives from doctors who could careless..."
Gray undid the cloth around his ankles muttering, "I can't just leave my job behind..."
"You can't stand here and tell me you actually enjoy working the same boring never-changing job, or can you?"
The raven stayed silent for a moment before muttering about needing time to think; walking out of the room, he caught the part about Natsu being ordered to go with him. Onyx eyes glanced over his shoulder at the irritated tan male walking up to him, "So where can I go to get some air?" he asked, having no intention of doing something stupid.
"Yeah, follow me..." The duo walked further into the house, making a right into the kitchen and dining room that appeared to be able to seat 20+ people at once.
"Whoa..." His thoughts voiced out loud that caused his companion to chuckle, "Yeah... its pretty impressive when we have everyone in here,"
Pointing to a sliding glass door to their left: "Here's the most peaceful place for thinking, in my opinion," Natsu spoke before leading the other outside; Gray had to admit, it was quite an impressive view.
The landscape was nicely framed with trees that were beautiful blossomed flowers; the grass was just the right length to appear like a feather-light blanket - the scenery was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.
"Natsu, right?" A short nod from his companion, "What made you join this?" Nothing but the soft whisper of the wind for a while then Gray added, "Nha, forget it... I didn't mean to pry,"
"I was an orphan... Raised to run errands for criminals, which usually meant stealing from other criminals... by the time I was 15, I had a rap sheet as thick as a normal 35-year-old criminal... Gramps saved me from all that..." Natsu's voice was velvet soft, giving the raven the impression he wasn't happy talking about the subject but had already moved past that point in his life.
Soft whispering of the wind and the warm glow of the sun then a light sigh, "If it'll give me life, I'll do it..."
"You won't regret it,"
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Csilla: *does a happy dance* I CAN WALK ON FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF WATER! I'M ON FIIIIIIIIIIIIIRRRRRRRREEEEEE EEEEEEEEE! I AM THEIR BABY *A*
Next Chapter - A New Beginning