xA/Nx
This is gonna be a double feature update because this chapter contains no Gruvia whatsoever, this is for plot development only. It's a necessity, and hopefully an enjoyable one.
I'm gonna be honest, I only thought this chapter was going to be about 2,000 words long, but Jose is chatty.
Mwah!
xJx
It was near three o'clock in the morning and Juvia couldn't sleep.
All was quiet, the lights were dimmed, with only a single candle left lit that cast a steady shadow of its holder behind it, splashed twice it's size against the stone wall.
Down in the dungeon no sounds from outside could penetrate this place, but it was instinct that told her of the thunder that raged outside, the static on her skin told her about the lighting that blinded the sky beyond these walls.
It felt like the dungeon was lying, there was no peace. How could there be?
Juvia tossed again, flipping to her side but it was a mistake.
The chair Gajeel had taken to occupying on his nightly watches was empty, and looking at this place, where he should be but wasn't, turned her stomach.
He hadn't returned since they'd spoken, what felt like weeks ago, but was just over an hour. She hadn't bumped into him on her way back down here.
She wished he would come back.
She wished to never see his face again.
Something began to itch under her skin then, and she quickly realized it was panic.
The bluenette turned her body once more.
This angle did nothing to calm her heart.
Guilt churned like a living thing in her stomach while she watched the Fairy Tail mage she'd taken nearly a week ago, spread-eagle on his cot.
He was already asleep by the time Juvia'd returned, with the covers kicked off and the pillow tucked under one of his arms instead of his neck.
He'd probably wake up with a kink tomorrow morning…
And it was entirely her fault.
The water maiden pulled up her own covers, past her chin and around her ears, until the only thing left uncovered were her eyes, so could see him. Memorize his face.
She hoped he'd haunt her.
She hoped his words would plague her every waking moment, and sometimes her dreams, too.
How could she have ever believed that she was helping him?
She would have been better off launching him off the roof then subjecting anyone to what her Master had planned.
As the memories of her meeting with Jose-sama filtered back into her mind, Juvia realized she may not be a good enough person to deserve being haunted by someone like the ice mage.
Maybe everything that happened, everything that was going to happen, was proof that she didn't deserve such decency as a friendly but disapproving ghost.
Maybe her heart was wretched and she was the only one who hadn't seen all along.
That would explain a lot.
Every failed relationship.
All of her isolation.
The silence that she'd offered in Jose's office.
Juvia closed her eyes then, hoping for sleep to come and wash away all of the thoughts that plagued her.
Instead, she recalled everything that happened one hour before.
xJx
Juvia crossed the threshold, arms beginning to ache from the weight of the tray, but the quake in her knees she knew came from nerves.
The three large floor-to-ceiling windows were left uncovered by the curtains, and being so high up from the ground as the guild was it felt as if Jose's office were only a step away from the heavens.
The clouds were dark, with rain pattering the panes intensely, but that probably had more to do with their close proximity to the sky than her mood. It was far less violent than when she'd left her discussion with Captive-san, no doubt owing to her conversation with Gajeel just a moment before.
She couldn't hear anything, but this left her unsurprised; Master Jose had his windows replaced and enchanted just days after she'd joined the guild, informing her that the noise grated terribly on his nerves, like 'an elder sibling plucking each hair off my head one at a time.'
She also knew because it had taken her seven months to pay them off.
But for once, the sky was giving her hope.
She'd worked up her resolve to do this, to try at the very least, and dissuade her Master from his plans of dismissing so many from their guild.
The idea had come to her quite suddenly while she was talking to Gajeel. Of course she couldn't tell him, he would either laugh in her face at the very idea of anyone changing Jose's mind or else, insist that he accompany her, convinced he would be more persuasive.
She'd known Gajeel for just over three years now and she'd had yet to inform him on what a poor conversationalist he was. No matter how many times she'd told him, the truth of her words never seemed to penetrate the thickness of his skull.
Anyway, though she knew their Master would be angry, no one was truly unreasonable and if he saw how vulnerable the guild would be without the rest of the Element Four and the others, perhaps he'd take a deep breath and rethink his plans.
"Do you require further instructions?" Jose snapped suddenly, scaring Juvia almost out of her skin. He was eyeing her, the bluenette realized as her attention came back to reality, over a pair of spectacles she wasn't even aware he wore, "If that is intended for me, put the tray on the desk, girl!"
She hurried to do just that, the toe of her boot nearly catching on the rug in her haste.
He set down the evening paper, folding his glasses on top neatly, while she worked to unveil everything, his chair swaying slightly as his curiosity grew.
Some of the steam from the large pot wafted over and he sniffed heartily, "What's all this, then?"
"Just a touch of soup. Leeks, meat, sweet potatoes, carrots and a bit of garlic, as well as some rice balls, grilled with a soy sauce glaze," She grabbed up the bowl she'd already dished up before leaving the kitchen, placing a battered but clean cloth before Jose, and putting the soup on top, "There was a bit of day-old bread, but Juvia knows you don't appreciate eating the ends, so she left it behind. Is it to your liking?"
"Mm." He accepted the spoon she handed him, expression now tinged with an emotion Juvia couldn't quite place, "And what brought this on? This sudden burst of generosity."
"Juvia knew you wouldn't like the pizzas we ordered, and there isn't much left that can be eaten without involved preparation, so Juvia thought she'd simply remove the burden from your shoulders."
"Pizza?" His brows lifted, "I wasn't even aware of such a thing." He inspected the bowl closely, "And here I was so sure this was a response to recent events…"
Juvia blinked. Was she that bald?
Perhaps her ploy to butter him up with food before asking for leniency on Gajeel's kill list victims wasn't original, but she hadn't counted on him seeing through her like glass.
He sighed, "Tell me plainly Juvia, is this your roundabout way of getting even with me for our altercation last night?"
She stared at him, not understanding.
He pushed the bowl away, tone clear as he enunciated each word. "Is it your intent to poison me–?"
"N–!"
" –because I'd prefer almond cookies to stew." Jose finished, brows lowered into a look Juvia could only describe as chiding, "You're all too aware of my sweet tooth, you'd be better off playing to my vices if you truly wanted me dead."
Why did everyone think–?
She placed her hands on his desk firmly, expression severe, "Juvia has never intentionally poisoned anyone!"
"You're very clever with your words, but just because you never have, doesn't mean you never will."
Grabbing up the ladle again, Juvia filled it up and downed it all in one go. While she swallowed the broth and chewed on the vegetables – which were delicious by the way – she gave her Master a look, as if to say, ' See?'
Bafflingly, he still looked unconvinced, "So you've poisoned the spoon…" He twirled it between long fingers.
She threw up her arms.
"It's too hot to eat just now anyway," he stated, seemingly ignoring that Juvia had just eaten quite a bit herself, a moment before, "and I don't want you to go just yet."
He shooed her away from his desk until Juvia was standing behind the chair in front of him.
"So," Jose stood from his seat and walked over to his personal wet bar, silver tongs in hand as began scooping almonds into a little bowl, "Tell me what you've learned from the boy so far."
"He was christened with the unfortunate moniker Pinky," the bluenette answered immediately, lips puckered in distaste, "but Juvia has been making great strides in convincing him to change it!" She beamed, remembering quite clearly the look on his face when she'd last brought it up. "Juvia can tell just by the way his brows settled over his eyes at the time, that he was really warming up to the idea of Hunter–"
"What are you blabbering about, you insipid child?"
The water maiden's back straightened.
"I couldn't care less about his name! Information on his guild, financiers, backers, political influence, that is what I need. How has Makarov managed to slip through the fingers of The Magic Council so many times? What arbitrary rules did they install to get themselves crowned Number One Wizard Guild in Fiore, knocking us from that spot in less than a year? How can they be up to their ears in damages and legal fees and afford to make the extensive renovations they plan to go through with? Whose palms are getting greased and why?" He slammed the utensil down, startling Juvia further as he visibly bristled, "While I was aware you're made up almost entirely of water, you never informed me that your brain was water-logged as well. Didn't I make myself clear when we spoke before? Were you counting dust mites when I told you what I needed, here, in this very office?"
"You– Juvia– Nevergotachance–"
"What? What, speak up!" He demanded.
She made a show to clear her throat, despite knowing what was lodged there had nothing to do with a physical catch, "Jose-sama allowed Juvia to leave… before you told her what you wanted…"
She was so sure her master would snap at her for correcting his assumptions, but he instead popped in an almond, chewing slowly while he observed her. "So I did."
"That's why… Juvia doesn't–"
"You don't know anything, do you?"
She didn't dare shake her head; moving seemed like a poor decision in the making, it felt dangerous.
"Because he doesn't know anything," Jose continued, "At all."
"Jose-sama–"
"You lied to me." He said it casually, like noting the weather was indeed just as cloudy as he'd thought, "You spun little tales to protect the boy down in the dungeons, you knew exactly how my desperation, how this whole situation we've landed ourselves in, clouded my judgements. And you exploited it. For him." He began striding around his desk, "For yourself."
Juvia backed away as her Master approached, but all too soon her heel caught on one of the bookshelves behind her and she realized with a sinking feeling that she'd cornered herself.
Her body braced when she saw his hand raise with swift purpose, eyes squeezed shut as if that would lessen the impact, but a moment later they were opened again, blinking rapidly in confusion.
Jose ruffled her hair gently, "I'm proud of you."
She was so certain she'd misheard, "Excuse Juvia?"
"I would never, not in exchange for all the gold in Crocus buried within the King's Treasury, have believed you capable of such deceit, but your desire emboldened you, strengthened your resolve in order to get what you wanted. I know it must have been difficult, going against my wishes, pulling the wool over my eyes, for even a moment, but you held out for nearly eight days. Yes, I'm very proud."
She was speechless.
"Come," He ordered, guiding her by the shoulders with a firm but gentle grip, towards the chair in front of his desk, "Sit and let me get you better acquainted with what has been going on and which direction Phantom's destiny intends to lead us to our glory."
With a wave of his hand, the lights dimmed in the office, but before her eyes could adjust, her Master's desk lit up, bathing them both in a ghostly light.
He shuffled a few pieces of paper this way and that, swiping his fingers quickly, before the lacrima on the tabletop's corner began to hum and the images on his desk were projected on the wall behind him, just as he'd done before on the day Mr. Heartfilia had called and derailed their original meeting.
Picking up his stew, Jose turned his chair around until he was facing the back wall as well. "What do you see, Juvia?"
Her brows dipped a little, certain such an obvious answer must mean there was a trick hidden somewhere in the question, "The Element Four."
"No, dear." He chuckled quietly, "You are looking at the past."
Juvia stilled.
"What you see before you will soon be in your rearview," He flicked his spoon at each of the boys in turn, "Totomaru. Sol. Aria."
Juvia swallowed. She'd wanted this, wanted the chance to persuade her Master to reconsider the list he'd given Gajeel, so what was making her hesitate? The fact that the moment was already here, so much sooner than she'd anticipated? Or maybe fear, truly squashed confidence now that she knew Jose had known for some time that she'd never intended to extract information from Captive-san?
He continued, unaware of her growing internal turmoil, "All so deceptively promising, each a failure in their own right."
Juvia's eyes darted to Jose.
"One of the reasons I was so… displeased with you constantly squirreling around the other three is because the truth they conveniently forgot to mention to you is that they pulled from the muck just as much as you were. Actually…" Amusement flicked across his face, dancing under the shadows cast by the projector that made him look so unnatural, "I was there, I recruited them personally. I'd say they were significantly worse off than you."
The water maiden pinched her fingers, crossing and uncrossing them in her lap as stress ran through her body.
"And now we've come full circle," He tutted. "But, as I always say, there's no use mourning the dead."
With a flick of his wrist the Element Four's photographs were replaced with three new ones. Juvia squinted, certain she'd seen at least two of them before.
Jose stood, standing under each picture in turn, addressing the one on the right first,"The Ice Wizard, Lyon Vastia."
Juvia was certain she'd seen this boy before, in this very room, with his sharp cat eyes, mildly narcissistic expression, and icy white hair, she'd noted at the time with a bit of surprise that they weren't so different in age.
Jose moved to the far left photo,"The Wizard Saint, Jura Neekis." She was already aware of the bald man, who needed little introduction.
"And our very own, Sky Dragon Slayer, Wendy Marvell," He pointed to a girl with long, dark-blue hair, brown eyes almost too large for her face, as if she were staring into Jose's office at that very moment and did not appreciate them talking about her.
But Juvia's attention was pulled away when her Master's words truly registered in her brain, " Our very own?"
He nodded, expression triumphant when he regained his seat, "That's right. Allow me to introduce you to your new teammates."
Juvia inhaled deeply and it felt like something stronger than reflex, like unhinged carnal panic; she found she couldn't quite manage to exhale anymore than she could release that feeling.
"But Jose-sama," Juvia hesitated, but her concern refused to be batted away, to be silenced, so she chose to point out what bothered her least, "these wizards… don't they already belong to other guilds?"
Under each photo were their names as well as simple facts about them. It took her a moment to remember these were wizard trading cards, blown up to impossible proportions, and under all of them were their guild names, claiming the photos under their individual trademarks.
Her Master waved a dismissive hand, eyes shining strangely, "For starters, Cait Shelter is barely scraping by, they have two members bringing in all their funds and one of them is a cat. Wendy is a prodigy wasting her time amongst uncouth commoners. The money I'm going to receive for turning over Lucy Heartfilia to her father is more than enough to lure them away from that burden. Few people are principled enough to turn down such a sum, especially after living under relentless financial strain. And that goes just as well for the ice wizard."
"That's very well," It really wasn't, but she wasn't willing to debate the merits of his points just then, "but Juvia has a few doubts that a monetary incentive will sway Neekis-sa–"
Jose laughed then, full and boisterous, cutting her off. The bluenette turned to the little wet bar, trying to gauge how much liquor remained, but every bottle was full, each wax cap still sealed, so that didn't explain it.
"Jura may come off as a pillar of unwavering principles but I know him a little differently. The title of Wizard Saint comes with a luggage full of airs we all must uphold in public."
"But Jose-sama–"
He held up a hand to stop her, "If for some reason that doesn't work on him, Baba's getting up in age, who are they gonna turn the guild over to? Someone inside, or maybe they'll finally merge with Blue Pegasus. Meaning they'd be under Master Bob's unsettling tutelage, and he as well is no spring chicken. Once he dies, they'd be contesting rule with a bunch of over the hill, glorified host club members. Who among them has the right? Hibiki? Jenny?"
Over the hill–? Jenny was at most 19.
Jose continued, "Maybe they'll luck out and get some say, but is that guaranteed? No."
"But the guild merge… That's just a rumor."
"A rumor I spread." He nodded sagely at her surprise, tapping his nose, "To sow doubt, and I can already see the crops rising in the distance."
He released a sigh and stood, moving towards the bar, but all he did was retrieve a small bottle of seltzer, "Running these guilds, it's not about friendship or loyalty, it's about politics and marketing and knowing exactly how to get under your enemies' skin and when the right time is to do it." Jose nodded her way almost as if in acknowledgement, "Jura may well be the hardest to convince, I know from past experience the man is not as interested in accolades or monetary satisfaction, but everyone can be broken, and eventually he will be, too.
"Phantom Lord is restructuring the guild from the top down. You well know The Element Four are the pillars, our foundation, the centralized force of our might. Once we have this settled," he gestured at the three photos, "we will restore the branches to their former glory. Maybe even surpass it. No longer are we indulging quantity, quality is all that matters."
"And in that same vein, you…" She swallowed hard, punishing her nail beds while she worked to get the words out, "You will not be expelling Juvia?"
"Of course not," Jose scoffed as if even the idea of it was beyond comprehension, as if he hadn't told her multiple times that he'd been mulling over her retirement. He pressed his fingers into his desk and her photo reappeared, "You belittle yourself by comparing the others to you. Unlike them, you won your fight, you came back for me and steered the guildhall away, you rid us of Makarov, and you intervened on his blasphemous little Fairy Law curse. I see now with clearer eyes that that is exactly what was needed. You granted us this time to regroup and for that I cannot be more grateful."
Warmth blossomed in her chest, the glow spreading to her fingers that had been so cold a moment before.
She couldn't remember the last time she'd received praise from him, the bluenette looked over the photos of these new wizards, her new teammates, wondering if perhaps she should trust in her Master's vision instead of arguing for something that didn't really work.
Sol, Totomaru, Aria. All she'd ever gotten from them was reluctant respect and cold indifference.
How often had they whispered within her earshot that it was actually the Element Three Plus One? How many plans had they made without consulting her, considering her? How many times had Sol whispered insults he knew she understood, aware of the others' ignorance of their native language?
How many things had she let slide that were worse?
And that went for Boze and Sue as well. What business was it of her's if they were mildly inconvenienced by their expulsion? If it were her, they'd probably host a parade.
As she mentally went down the list of every member being axed on Gajeel's list, Juvia felt her heart harden a little more, unable to recall a single instance in which any of them had put their necks on the line for her.
She couldn't remember a time when they'd simply waved back in the morning.
Captive-san's words seemed to ring in that moment:
' A guild should be a family, as comfortable as your home. When one falls, we all feel it and work to rectify it. When one of us gets sick there's a line down the block from your door, interrupting traffic while they try to bring you soup. '
Yes, she'd brought them soup plenty of times, but Juvia couldn't imagine herself daring to ask any of her guild mates for a tissue even if she had pneumonia.
Maybe it didn't have to be that way.
"I owe you many rewards, my dear," Jose went on, pulling Juvia's attention back on course, "this is just one." He adjusted the photos until the water maiden's took precedence, larger; her face was now in the center, with the other three sitting beside and underneath her, " You will lead them."
Her mind went oddly quiet then.
Jose swept back into his chair, quickly running his fingers along his desk, and their photos disappeared, replaced by three bullet points, "This is our plan of action. In the coming days – truth be told, I've already gotten the ball going – we will be implementing everything you see here. This time next week, Phantom Lord will be unrecognizable. The well-oiled machine I'd always envisioned."
Juvia's eyes scanned it quickly. "Jose-sama, what of our feud with Fairy Tail?" Weren't they currently on the run because of them, yet it wasn't on there.
That laugh bubbled up again, "Fairy Tail has been taken care of." When her brows crumpled in concern, he patted his desk fondly, "All will be explained soon."
"Yes, alright..."
Jose took in her face, and she wondered idly how she looked in such deep shadows and unflattering lighting, "Tell me Juvia, would you truly like to know the details of my plan? I warn you, getting this grim on your hands may haunt you for some time, you might even wish for your current ignorance back, curse your own curiosity. Make the choice now, fully aware of the consequences."
She did not understand why he was speaking in riddles, he just told her he was going to tell her his plans.
"I could give you the overview instead," Jose went on, smiling at her serenely, "but I would be immeasurably awed if you took the risk and dove into the mud with me."
Warning bells began ringing in her head then.
' He's right,' it screamed, ' you don't want to know!'
But… in all the years she'd been in Phantom Lord, she'd never once had her Master's awe.
By then, the decision wasn't really her's anymore, "Juvia would like to know."
The lacrima light danced in his eyes, as he nodded his approval, "You brought up those bastard moths so let us begin there." The slide changed to one of a building Juvia was entirely unfamiliar with, though she knew what it was without further introduction.
If the emblem blazed into the brightly painted walls weren't hint enough, Gajeel's handiwork smashing the place to bits, crushing the structure almost completely and leaving iron rodes thicker than tree trunks protruding out of every angle like a smashed spider's legs would have been enough for her to piece it together.
The water maiden cringed.
Juvia had always intended to send Captive-san an apology gift basket when this was all over, but seeing just how much damage the iron dragon slayer had done to his home… The bluenette resolved to send one to his guild as well; she'd sign Gajeel's name for it, she was sure deep, deep down, that's what he would want.
"Actually, let's begin where we started." The slide changed again, showing the Element Four as they were today, "As you know the Jupiter Cannon is our prevailing armament, it is our shield but more honestly it is our sword. With the strength of you four combined I was sure we could level cities if we so wished."
Juvia heard his teeth grind then, pausing his speech and she knew he was recalling how far they'd fallen from his expectations. Between the blast being stopped by a single wizard and each of the others falling before it could be recharged, she was surprised Jose wasn't throwing things.
"I've recovered the Cannon," he breathed out eventually.
"You did?" She thought it was beyond repair.
"Yes, you see my initial plan was simply to repair it and return to Magnolia, using the element of surprise as the ace up our sleeve, but each time I turned it over in my head, I was discomforted. That's the exact plan we implemented before, and we were left licking our wounds like a scolded alley cat, no. That would never do."
The slide changed, revealing a crude diagram of the Jupiter Cannon. Each little orb contained a color representing the magic of the Element Four.
"In order to get it functional it needs your magic and the magic of your – well, not equals, but I'm sure you know what I mean, the others."
"Yes."
"Two hours ago, I was informed Aria, Sol, and Totomaru have all been released from critical health watch."
She hadn't known that. Despite the harsh thoughts from a moment before, she let out a quiet sigh of thanks.
"All that remains of their physical injuries are superficial wounds, however they've only managed to regain around 20% of their normal magic power. A pitiful recovery, but better than leaving us to haul around a couple of corpses.
"Had things gone my way, I would have been happy to allow them to recover their magic fully, but I am not the one drawing the timetables; we have a few days left and so I've revised my plans to use what we have.
"What was that tiresome slogan? 'Waste not, want not?' Well, I will not lie and tell you I want for nothing, but I am creative enough to make cream from dust."
She didn't have anything to say to that, so she just nodded, hoping he felt supported.
"Tomorrow evening, I will lead the three of them, as well as you, into the observatory and I will siphon their magic, all that they have, to recharge the Jupiter Cannon. No doubt, before I lead them there they would have met with Gajeel and been informed that their time here is coming to a close, and rather than accept it, they will plead for an exemption. At which point I will give them the option to give up all the magic that they have. And they will give it to me, willingly. Once they are spent, they will be expelled for their failures and you will supply what's needed to finish charging the Cannon."
"But Jose-sama… Juvia does not have the strength…" It was better to focus on her own shortcomings than point out how horrible this was, knowing that no matter how much they begged, Jose's show of mercy would only last a moment, just long enough for him to bury his longest running enemy up to his neck, then he'd cut them all loose.
"And I do not expect it of you. That list extended well past these fools," He threw a dismissive hand towards the diagram, "with the adjustments I've made, the Jupiter Canon will be able to siphon from the other rejects as well, filling it considerably. You will go last, topping it off, but do not expect to exert yourself much." His gaze landed on the projection, distant and eerie, "I will bleed them dry, if I must. It is what is owed."
"You'd really do this to them…" Just because they lost to Fairy Tail?
The end of that question, those were words she wouldn't dare utter.
Jose's jaw was set when he replied with a mantra Juvia had heard a few dozen times before, "Phantom Lord does not tolerate weakness."
"Of course, Master."
Truth be told, Juvia was surprised Jose had allowed so many people to remain in the guild after the loss initially, but she never would have guessed this was where his 'mercy' was going to lead.
His eyes glittered, then, when he looked back at her, "Do you regret your choice, faithlessly indulging your own curiosity?"
Yes. "No."
He held this stare a few beats longer, before he nodded, "Very good, let us move to the next phase."
The slide returned to Fairy Tail's demolished guild hall and Jose's smile turned a little giddy, "I trust I don't need to explain what is going on in this photo?"
"No, Jose-sama."
"Sloppy boy," he muttered affectionately, "I'm sure even the dragon he was supposedly raised by wouldn't have left such a mess, but no matter. Enthusiasm is much preferred over incompetence."
Juvia let out a sigh of amusement then; he really couldn't help hims–
"Or should I say, it was."
Lighting cleaved through the sky, so violent it parted the clouds and bathed the room in stark, blinding white, accompanied by a round of thunder that shook the floors and howled audibly against the soundproof glass.
"Mr. Redfox as well, will not be moving forward with us."
Shock strangled her, it knocked the wind from her lungs and the strength from her bones, her mind couldn't formulate how to ask the question, but her alarm was visible enough for him to fill in the blanks.
"Why? You want to know why?"
"Yes." She choked out.
"As we speak, Gajeel Redfox," He drawled out the enunciation of his name like he was recalling an unfortunate dip he'd had in an infamously filthy pond, "is no doubt acting on my orders in a way that would curl the hair off of any of the common beasts the guild is currently trampling over in the forest. He will resort to violence in order to meet my quota because he doesn't know any other way. After all the blood he sheds, blood of the men and women who worked alongside him not even yesterday and for five years before that, you expect me to reward such brutish behavior? Introduce him to our newest recruits with what, a pinky promise that he won't do it to them one day? With our new approach barely out of the oven, how could we possibly explain his continued presence here? Do you think the Council will approve of our new ventures if we flagrantly cling to the wretched parts of our past?"
"But–" Juvia felt she was grasping at straws, but she would manhandle horse shit if it meant producing a parachute for him, "Gajeel-kun doesn't need to fight them, just… Remove them? Let them know they've been let go, and then…?"
It occurred to her then to tell Jose that the dragon slayer wasn't currently acting on his wishes and working his way through the kill list, that she'd delayed Gajeel for the time being until everything could be reevaluated under the clarity of daylight, after she spoke to Jose and convinced him to rethink that list all together, that they still has time to give him proper instructions, to behave, to ignore his instincts and not resort to violence, but then…
Dread filled her stomach and ice trailed down her spine as the understanding her instincts had been warning her against, began to dawn on her.
Why would Jose choose Gajeel of all people, to do a task that required delicacy, people skills, two things the dragon slayer lacked? It was a hard thing, being fired, the experience would only take a turn for the worse if the person delivering the news openly didn't care.
Even with forewarning, it could turn violent…
Juvia blinked, "Jose-sama," she began slowly, "You aren't… setting up Gajeel-kun?"
The words were small when they left her, uncomfortable heat spreading up her neck and blotching her skin. She felt terrible even accusing her Master of such a thing.
But she felt worse when she saw his face.
There was peace there, the kind that she knew her Master only wore when he knew he'd won, when he'd put someone in a corner of his own making.
"Very good, yes, that's exactly my plan."
"But he's–!" Important? Powerful? Her friend. "We need him, Gajeel-kun is our Dragon Slayer–!"
" Was."
Her nails dug into the arms of Jose's chair, "We could have two."
"Excessive and unnecessary." He dismissed, "Unchecked greed is a sin, Juvia, remember that. When Miss. Marvell arrives, she will be our Dragon Slayer and one of the Four. It makes sense, it's more streamlined that way. You will guide her into her own, into what we expect here. Wendy in particular, yes, I'm excited about her. From what I've learned, little blue haired girls are of a rather talented and deferential sort."
He nodded towards the water maiden, but she didn't respond; suddenly she felt sick to her stomach.
"She could look up to you, learn much from you, almost like having your very own little sister."
Juvia shook her head, not allowing his assumptions about her would-be relationship with this girl she'd never met to cloud the fear for Gajeel beaming bright from within her heart, "Then why don't we just kick him out with the rest of them? Or choose someone else to deliver the news? Make a big announcement in the dining hall?"
That would be harsh, he would be hurt and angry, and in the near future possibly alone, but at least it wasn't this.
"No." Jose stated firmly, voice bouncing around the walls of the office, startling her enough that she sunk back, "It must be him and it must be down this way. It is imperative."
"Why?"
"Because this time next week, his face will no doubt be splashed across every paper in the country, there won't be a man, woman, or child who doesn't know his name. This time next week, Gajeel Redfox will be known as the sole instigator of Fairy Tail's downfall."
"..."
Her mind went quiet once again. She couldn't absorb his words, they didn't make sense. "Why would Gajeel-kun claim the credit–?"
"I never said credit," He clarified bitingly, "His purpose is only to shoulder the brunt of our previous miscalculations. He is taking the fall."
A quick glance out the window would have shown her the rain coming down in sheets, blurring the world, reinforcing the trapped feeling that had a hold on her limbs, her thoughts. It would have sunk her emotions further, emptied her of any of the hope she'd walked in here with, it would have ripped the last thread of calm straight from her body, leaving her dark.
But she didn't look, so that single thread remained.
Wiping any expression from her face, she asked in a voice devoid of attachment, "How are we going to convince him?"
"That will be explained in part three."
Jose had already finished his stew and was back to chewing on his almonds, he swiped up to the next part, humming a jaunty little tune that clashed horribly with Juvia's quiet hyperventilating.
She'd ignored the niggling guilt at Sol, Totomaru, and Aria being replaced, weakly convincing herself that the three would bounce back easily, that Captive-san's words from before, when he discovered Gajeel's kill list, was simply a case of a foreign species unaccustomed to their ways, of those bred in a hostility, that he grew up in a different environment and didn't understand that the members of Phantom Lord all understood everyone was expendable and anyone could be replaced, that she shouldn't feel bad.
But this…
The last slide held an old photograph of a mushroom cloud, more than likely taken during a battle long before her time. There was rubble and parts surrounding it, pieces of broken trees and things that were so torn up they were unidentifiable. That blast area was already huge, with the ground underneath showing uprooted pipes and the corner of someone's basement.
Standing in the center of that cloud, was a wizard. His arms were spread above him as if he were in awe of the destruction he'd plunged his surroundings into, eyes shut as though at peace. He either didn't notice or didn't care to acknowledge the other people surrounding him, about two dozen or so.
Even without color to show the robin's egg blue of their uniforms, she would recognize them anywhere: The Rune Knights.
It was clear they were taking him into custody.
It was also clear to Juvia what her Master was trying to say.
"It is not important what happened in this photo," he hummed, as if Juvia were in any mood for a history lesson, "this is a simple visual. Imagine if you will, three days from now, the Jupiter Cannon has been launched, not from the guild hall, no we don't want to risk putting our signature on this attack, but rather via proxy. I will use an alignment spell to send the blast directly over the Fairy Tail's demolished guild hall and wipe it off the map, there will be no countdown, no charging, the act will be swift.
"The rejects will take priority over charging Jupiter, then Gajeel, and finally you. By going last, you have no need to fear draining much of your magic, the others will do the heavy lifting on that front.
"We will make our way to the outskirts of Magnolia Town – unfortunately we have to be at least five miles within range of our target for the portal spell to work, but that's still plenty of leeway – and Gajeel will set out on his own, nearer to the guild, but a safe distance from the blast. Once Jupiter hits it's mark that will be all the signal he needs. Gajeel will unleash upon the surviving stragglers like a lone wildebeest and cut them down while they're weak. Eventually all the humdrum will alert the public, causing panic that he won't just stop at the den of fairy filth, and so the Rune Knights will be called. And they will converge on him, much as they once did Brigham Loid," He nodded towards the photograph, "so long ago."
All was quiet within her mind.
"He will be taken into custody – well, if they can contain him, that is, even with us draining him beforehand, dragon slayer magic is a formidable thing and you never know how these things can spiral – but, if things go the right way and fate decides not to be too creative, then yes, he will be cuffed and booked and brought before The Magic Council.
"From there we will continue on our quest, bringing in the new Element Four – perhaps you'd like to change that name, while I am rather fond of it, the memories are hardly tinged with cotton candy after all – and then we will continue towards what I believe is a rather noble pursuit, the rediscovery of Nirv–"
"But Jose-sama," Juvia shook her head, clearing her mind of the numbing fuzz and all-encompassing lethargy that wanted to pull her under and block out the world and all it's carefully planned cruelty from her consciousness, "what about Gajeel-kun, after the Rune Knights take him?"
Jose gave a dismissive sniff, "They will sentence him, and the remainder of his life will be spent in Era."
"But how?" Something deep with her refused to let up, and it felt grounding, "If there's a trial we'll be called to testify, Gajeel-kun will tell them about our involvement, he'll be compelled to."
There was an enchantment on the stand that forced anyone even brushing up against the wood to give the whole truth, as much as they were aware of. As far as Juvia knew no spell or potion could overpower it. Even if he didn't want to, the dragon slayer would rope them in once he was questioned.
"There will not be a trial."
"How can there not be a trial?" Jose planned on pinning potentially mass murder on Gajeel's shoulders, he expected the nation to be astonished by it, why wouldn't they prioritize bringing him to justice? "How could the Council ignore their own rules an–?"
"Because this is not the first time he has been before them, girl! He has been given second-, and third-, and forth-chances! He has been fined and warned and slapped on the wrist more times than there are stars in the sky and all their leniency will show is the blood of one of Fiore's most prominent wizard guilds on his hands. They will be embarrassed. Some may resign. But the sentencing will be swift and final. There will be no trial, and no one will question it."
Jose's breathing was heavy, his chest rising and falling rather quickly while he tried to calm down, but Juvia wasn't looking at him. Her eyes were locked on what was scattered across the floor, barely visible in the dim light from the lacrima's projection. He'd thrown them accidentally in the heat of his rant, the floor was littered with them now.
The almonds, his favorites.
When he got up he'd probably step on them, not even realizing at first. The rest he'd throw away.
After a moment, he spoke again, his gaze and tone softened, words like honey when he continued, "After the Jupiter Cannon is launched, it's all over Juvia. Fairy Tail, our financial woes, the faces of Phantom, our priorities going forward, everything will have changed."
She thought about the man downstairs and whispered, "What if Fairy Tail survives?"
The little hum returned as he thought about it for a moment while inspecting a rice ball, "I very much expect many of them to, they're like cockroaches incarnate. You see, Makarov is really forcing my hand here, making this fight so messy, if he'd just play fair, well… We know that isn't going to happen.
"Anyway, in the event they all survive, it's still fine. Gajeel will take the blame just as planned, their ire will be directed towards him. Repairing the guild and moving forward," He laughed then, "that cannot be done. Without the little Heartfilia girl's money, they aren't just in a hole, they're shot straight through the other side of the planet. And if lack of funds leads them to fleeing this nation," His smile widened, showing all teeth, top and bottom, "well then, I wish them a safe bon voyage!"
"What if… some of the members don't want to leave with them?"
He looked thoughtfully at the ceiling as if impressed by her line of questioning, though Juvia doubted he hadn't already made these calculations, too, "Yes, yes. There is potential there. Titania, for one, will not be felled with brute force and wishful thinking alone. I would be happy to sweep her into our ranks. And those like her."
His gaze went to Juvia then, pinning her in place, "But not those beneath her."
She swallowed, not daring to break from his eyes.
"I'm sure you understand what I mean."
She nodded, voice beyond reach at the moment.
"I will say it once again anyway, just so I never have to hear this wearisome scheme from your lips again. The boy below is impudent and loyal to the wrong sorts. He is the antithesis of what we are seeking going forward. He couldn't tell a gift if it were being handed to him on a platter with a smile, evidenced by all your hard work that he's gleefully thrown in your face for days on end."
Juvia's mouth dropped but her Master rushed to say, "Yes, I knew about that, of course I did. All the food, the favoritism, insisting on looking after him yourself. I may not have had the mind to reprimand you at the time, but do not think for a moment I was unaware of all of your goings-on since that day you took him in."
As he stepped around his desk, his fingers grazed the lacrima and the projection switched back to the first slide, of herself and her new teammates, "Do not fret, all will be taken care of and whatever nonsense that boy muttered in your ear will be worlds away when we're off fulfilling the might of Phantom Lord's legacy."
She just nodded.
"Abandon your childish infatuation, and look upon all your choices thus far with the eyes of a soon-to-be leader. Turning him is pointless. It will break Makarov just as much if we hurt him the regular way, And more importantly," He patted her cheek, fondness clear, "you could do better."
Juvia nodded again.
"You'll never shed another tear out of loneliness again, my dear. That I can promise you. So do not weep for the past, smile at your good fortune," He tilted her face up by her chin, gently raising her from the chair and guiding her out of his office. "I'm sure you've known all along I could never hurt you."
Just before shutting the door behind her, he whispered words that seemed to echo in the shadows of the hall, from a forgotten memory three years prior, in the hollow of her bones and the blood in her veins.
From the chambers of an old orphanage.
"After all, that's not how you treat family."
xJx
Her breathing was laborious, her heart pounded as if she'd finished a sprint covering every inch of Earthland.
She couldn't sleep.
She refused.
Juvia pulled off her blankets and rose from the bed.
She knew what she needed to do.
A/N
I really hope you guys see Jose for the manipulative bastard that he is. I really wanted to showcase how abusive people don't always throw their victims around and call them demeaning names 24/7. Plenty of them will use their kindness, their approval, as weapons as well, even more deliberately.
Praising her, giving her preferential treatment, rewards and acting as if he's pulling her in on a secret, these are all ways in which to lower her guard, bring her further onto his side, so she won't seek better.
He's taking advantage of her boundless sense of loyalty to him, as well as their familial bonds to box her in, leave her without any options outside of the space he's designated for her.
I also think it's important to note that he's trying to implicate her in his crimes against the rest of the guild, just as much as Gajeel, so that even if things go south and his plan doesn't work, even if she decides for herself to leave, they'll be nothing outside of what he's given her to fall back on.
So don't get too mad at baby girl for not immediately seeing through all this and defending her guild from his manic authoritarianism like she'd intended to, alright?
Alright.
The next chapter is already posted!
Mwah!