Drake knew he was in for it when Gray made a beeline for him. He tried backing up, but the older ice mage grabbed him by the collar of his coat.
"I've heard some things, Drake" He growled, everyone turning to face them. "Care to know what it was, or do you already know?" Drake gulped. A quick listen into Gray's thoughts confirmed what Drake was worried about. Gray knew about Elise.
"What are you talking about, Gray?" Master Laxus demanded. "Let the poor kid go" Gray whirled on everybody.
"I know what happened to Elise," He gave Drake a glare. "But I think it'd be best to hear it from Drake" Everyone stared at him, and Drake started to sweat.
"Well..." Drake began.
"Just tell us man" Damien said from his left. "It can't be that bad"
"Yeah, come on. It couldn't have been your fault" Winter said encouragingly.
"Meeehhhnnn, let us know" Ichiya said. Drake made eye contact with Ulear and Simon. He knew they already knew, but he still wanted to OK it with them. They nodded, and Ultear turned around as Drake sighed.
"Elise..." He began. "Elise was..."
Natsu wished Apocalypse didn't look so smug about just getting to stand there as he and Gajeel were thrown left and right by his rapture magic. Apocalypse chuckled.
"You know, your little girls were a lot tougher than you two" He made eye contact with Natsu. "especially yours, taking the others session with me"
"Why would she do that?" Natsu demanded. Apocalypse looked confused for a moment before he smiled.
"Oh my god" He said with a grin. "You two don't know, do you?"
Know what, asshole?" Gajeel asked angrily as Apocalypse entered a laughing fit. "I know your the reason Elise won't talk to anyone."
"Oh, that wasn't my fault" Apocalypse replied, wiping a tear from his eye. "I can assure you I'm not into that kind of torture"
"That kind?" Natsu demanded. "What kind are you talking about?" Apocalypse sighed.
"You really don't know?" He asked, which earned a head shake. "I suppose that'll make it even better when you find out"
"How about I beat it out of you?!" Gajeel shouted. "Iron Dragon Club!" Apocalypse did a graceful back flip away from the attack.
"I would tell you, but I know all about what happens when someone in Fairy Tail gets angry. I'm not pulling the pin on that grenade." Natsu mauled this information over in his head What could be so bad that he wouldn't tell them, fearing the outcome? Fearing it. Natsu went to the darkest part of his mind in a vain attempt to find anything. Nothing came.
"Salamander" Gajeel's voice shook Natsu out of his thoughts. "He's trying to provoke us"
"If he were doing that, he'd have told us what happened with Elise" Natsu replied. "He's just playing with us." Natsu turned back to Apocalypse. "What's your angle, pal?"
"Angle? Oh, my plan. Well, all I have to do is wait until Master Jose gives the okay, and I'm all done after that" Natsu was about to respond, but Gajeel growled.
"Jose?" Gajeel hissed. "Did you just fucking say JOSE?" Apocalypse nodded.
"Yeah, I did" Natsu made the connection as soon as he made eye contact with Gajeel. It all made sense now. The name of the guild, their specification on Elise's torture sessions.
Jose
fucking
Porla
Natsu reeled at the memories of the venomous former leader of Phantom Lord. His stupid smirk, his stupid haircut, his vendetta against Fairy Tail. Natsu could practically see the rage rolling off of Gajeel.
"Gajeel..." Natsu began, but it didn't matter, Gajeel had already entered 'I'm pissed off and whoever made me that way is going to die' mode. Natsu watched as Gajeel's entire body coated with a layer of iron scales, and both arms turned into swords.
"Do you have any fucking idea who that fuck is?" Gajeel hissed, voice barely audible over the constant growling. "Do you?!" Apocalypse looked confused.
"I don't follow" Apocalypse said with a smirk. Natsu saw it, but he knew Gajeel didn't. Green spots had sprung up all over Gajeel's body.
"Gajeel! He's trapping you!" It was no use, Natsu was certain the iron dragon slayer couldn't hear him at all.
"That man is fucking insane." Gajeel replied. "He almost ruined my life, and the lives of countless others, over his own fucking problems."
"Gajeel..."
"Oh, did he know?" Apocalypse asked. "A good man then" That only intensified Gajeel's anger.
"I'm going to rip you limp from limp" Gajeel said matter of factly. "Then, I'm going to use your disembodied carcass to beat the shit out of Jose. That way, he can't do this shit ever again. got it?" Apocalypse chuckled.
"I don't see how you can do that, seeing as you're going to be in that wall in about two point five seconds." before Gajeel could respond, Apocalypse snapped his fingers.
"Shit!" Was all Natsu heard as the rapture magic activated, sending him flying into the wall.
"Gajeel!"
Drake watched as his horrified audience stood in stunned silence. He had just finished his lovely story, and now everyone was silent.
"Mavis..." Master Laxus hissed. Winter had her hands cupped over her mouth, tears in her eyes.
"meeehhnnn..." Mami said sadly, rubbing at her eyes. Drake did so as well. He'd gotten more emotional telling that story then he;d expected.
"That's why I didn't tell anyone, especially not Gajeel or Levy" Drake said, turning back to everyone. "I think it'd be best that way, anyway"
"Agreed" Jura said, rubbing Winters ice on is forehead, trying to sooth his headache. "I think it wouldn't do either of them any good."
"I just..." Winter started, rubbing at her eyes as well. "Why would they do that?"
"This just proves only sick fucks are in dark guilds" Damien growled. "If I ever see who did it, I'm gonna see how he enjoys getting it teared off."
"Is that why Drake-kun told them to go see Doranbolt?" Juvia asked, which earned a nod from Drake. "Juvia understand now... although she wishes she didn't." Silence befell the group once again. Drake wasn't sure why they'd wanted to know so bad. It tore him up knowing he hadn't been able to do anything about it. It must'v been killing them.
BOOM!
Drake was grateful the explosion had gone off, for it had temporarily given him a reason to not sit around quietly. He listened in on Apocalypse's door, and he heard Natsu circling Apocalypse, Gajeel no where to be seen. Apocalypse said something about not being aware of your surroundings, and Natsu told him he was dead.
Gajeel fucked up" Drake reported. "I don't hear him in Apocalypse's place"
"Is he okay?" Master Laxus demanded. Drake shrugged.
"I can't hear him anywhere in there" Drake replied, which got more then a few worried glances at Apocalypses door.
"We should go and help" Ultear said, finally speaking for the first time since Drake began his story. Gray shook his head.
"It's more than personal for Natsu and Gajeel" Gray replied. "I don't think either would appreciate us trying to help."
"Well, what do we do now?" Simon asked.
BOOM!
Erza watched as Quintus' blade of darkness was thrown slightly off, and she took her chance. Rushing forward with her Flight Armor, Erza managed to make contact with Quintus, knocking him off balance. Lyon took that as his chance.
"Ice Make: Snow Dragon!" The crystalline beast rushed forward, clamping Quintus in it's jaws. Erza requipped into her black wing armor. As Quitnus freed himself rm the dragon, Erza brought her blade to his neck.
"I wonder who's faster?" She asked in a deadly tone. "Your misdirection ability or my wrist? Shall we find out?" Quintus growled angrily.
"What do you want?" He demanded. Erza grinned.
"See, I knew we could be diplomatic" She said sweetly. "Now, what is your masters 'grand plan'?" Quintus chuckled.
"Let's just say it involvesva big boom" Quintus replied. "That, and your little troupe getting wiped out by one man."
"Apocalypse?" Quintus laughed.
"Nah, much,much worse" He replied. "believe me, you'll never see it coming, maybe because you'll be staring at the ground."
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