The room was silent and the air was still as Makarov's words lingered over him.
"Gray, my boy, I know that…this is quite a bit to hear all at once."
He could barely form a response at that moment. "This doesn't make any sense, how could this guy just appear out of thin air and do all of this? Why would he be targeting me if he's not even supposed to be here?!" his tone was more panicked than he'd intended.
The guild master sighed heavily and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Young man, I truly wish I could give you an answer, but until I speak with the council, I'm afraid we may not have one."
"Gramps, what happens if that guy comes here?" Gray's eyes were wide as saucers beneath furrowed brows, and he grasped a fistful of his blanket in either hand.
"Gray, there is nothing that we can do without the council's interference. I don't like it one bit, but this is a rare matter that is well beyond our control." Makarov had a stern glare on his face, one most guild members wouldn't have contended with.
"So I just have to sit around and do nothing? What if something happens to the guild?! People could get hurt because of me! What if he finds the guild an–" Gray jumped at the warm hand that slapped itself firmly, but carefully, onto his leg. He looked toward the end of the bed to see Natsu, one leg propped on the end of his bed and elbow perched on his knee, and his other hand on Gray's leg.
"Gray, you're not going anywhere. You've got all of us around this time, there's no way that guy's getting away from this without one hell of an ass kicking." Almost immediately, the tension started to vanish from the room, and the other guild members smiled at Natsu's reassurance.
There was always something about the dragon-slayer that grounded Gray. Despite the way they butted heads, amidst any storm of his–Natsu was always his peace, his light, his rock.
Taking a moment to process what Gray knew in his heart was Natsu's own pledge to him, he smiled confidently. "You're damn right he's not. When he shows up, I want first dibs on that lanky bastard." Natsu beamed at him, giving his leg a few affirming pats before walking toward the door.
"Gramps, you don't have to worry about anything tonight, we've got things handled." Makarov struggled to hide the surprise on his face in awe at how quickly Natsu, someone normally so reckless and impatient, had immediately resolved such a tense atmosphere.
"Alright, I'm counting on you, young man." Makarov smiled softly at the pink-haired wizard who, for just a moment, suddenly seemed much older and wiser.
Makarov looked up at all of Gray's teammates. "I'm counting on you four to keep Gray safe tonight, and until this matter is dealt with."
"Yes Master, we won't let you down."
"Of course! Leave it to us Master Makarov."
"You got it, gramps, you can count on us!"
"Aye, sir!"
The ice-mage sat in awe before smiling gratefully at his friends. How he was fortunate to be a part of such a dedicated team, he'd never know.
Gray gave an audible and unexpected yawn, rightfully feeling drained from the long and eventful day he'd had.
"It sounds like you should probably try to get some sleep, Gray. We'll be right outside if you need anything though, okay?" Wendy smiled at him. Seeing the worry leave their faces alone already made him feel better.
"Yeah, that sounds like a plan," rubbing his eyes with one hand and yawning a second time. Mira helped him get settled from the upright position he'd been in before the group stepped out.
Once again left alone with his own thoughts, the anxiety stirring in him pounced.
'There's no way…there's no chance I ran into an assassin on a simple errand run today.' None of it felt real. Between the sudden spur of events and the fresh dump of information from the others, he couldn't begin to wrap his head around it all.
He pulled his blanket higher up, bunching it in his hands close under his chin. There was a chill he'd not been able to shake since the attack–since he was attacked.
"Where do we even go from here?" he whispered to himself. "If what everyone is saying is true, then what happens next?"
He let his head drop back as his eyelids began to feel like heavy weights, goosebumps crawling up his arms as sleep lulled him into its dark embrace. The last thing he saw were the once-still shadows that decorated the walls around him begin to shift.
'Must just be the exhaustion.'
––
"I'm so relieved to have some concrete details to work off of now." Erza sighed quietly. While they all knew she was worried, her tone was noticeably more steady than it had been in recent hours. "Master, what's our plan for tonight? For reasons beyond monitoring Gray's condition, I agree that our team should stay at the guild hall tonight."
"I think that is a wise idea, Erza. We can't be certain of the Tracker's motives, or even their reason for being in Fiore, so we must keep an eye on Gray tonight and in the coming days."
Natsu nodded in unison with the other party members. He was feeling slightly more sure of things as well after his short excursion, and would no doubt be staying to take watch for as much of the evening as he could.
"When I get my hands on that guy, he's going to wish he'd never touched a Fairy Tail wizard," he growled aloud, ember-ridden fists clenched at his sides. "I'm taking first watch tonight."
"I can join you!" Lucy piped up. She was looking like herself again, and it seemed like everyone's morale had returned to a reasonable level. Natsu was glad that he intervened when he did.
"Thank you, Natsu," Erza nodded. "I'm going to request Gajeel and Juvia take watch tonight on a wider perimeter away from the guild. We'll only need to worry about the immediate property and hall itself."
She turned to the rest of the group with a softer tone. "For anyone not on watch, please stay close to the infirmary and keep your heads on a swivel."
"It sounds like we have as good a plan in place as we can for now. I'll take my leave and go contact the magic council on emergency matters. If we can get through tonight unscathed, hopefully they'll be able to send extra support tomorrow."
With a confident nod from everyone, the groups split off and moved to their assigned responsibilities. Wendy quietly cracked the door to Gray's room, tiptoeing in to check on him one more time. To her surprise, he already seemed to be sleeping peacefully. She gave a silent sigh of relief as some of the tension left her shoulders.
As she tiptoed back out of the room, she rubbed her arms as the previously unnoticed chill raised goosebumps on her skin. She closed the infirmary room door, smiling to Mira, Carla, and Levy and relaying Gray's current condition.
––
Lucy and Natsu walked around the perimeter of the guild hall, Natsu's nose sniffing the air around them and Lucy's head peering from left to right. Happy gracefully flew down to meet them from his previous post in the sky.
"Did you see anything, little buddy?" Natsu asked as Happy perched on his shoulder.
"No, I didn't see any funny looking guys like everyone described earlier," Happy's tone was tinted with concern.
"Maybe no news is good news…?" Lucy proposed to the two of them with an anxious chuckle.
"I want this guy to show up so I can give 'em a piece of my mind already," a vein appeared on Natsu's forehead.
"Wouldn't it be better if this guy never came back, though? If this really is the kind of…thing we're looking for, then…" Lucy stopped herself before she could continue.
"While that would be nice, that still leaves the problem of these Tracker guys being in Fiore." Happy stated worriedly.
"So that's why the solution is to pummel 'em!" A feral grin appeared on Natsu's face as a battle-eager chuckle escaped him. A small sweatdrop appeared on both Lucy and Happy's foreheads.
"It's strange though, despite the scene that guy made at the marketplace today, everything has been totally silent tonight." Lucy observed. She held her chin in thought, staring intently at the ground. "After such a wild attack, especially if it wasn't planned, why wouldn't this guy have come straight after Gray?"
Natsu had a baffled expression at Lucy's very valid point. "Yeah, I guess you're right. I haven't caught any weird smells yet either…" The trio stopped their walk, trying to wrack their brains for any kind of answer. "From what Gray told us tonight, it sounds like this guy was looking specifically for him."
The group stood in a long silence. Lucy gasped, her eyes widening and head popping up. "He would have known we'd all be on edge after that attack, but he also had Gray alone earlier. He left on his own accord as soon as Sagittarius and I showed up. What if he didn't follow us because we were in a group?"
"I guess that makes sense…where are you going with this, Luce?" Natsu cocked his head to the side. He felt Happy shrink closer into his shoulder.
"Because the next time Gray could have been alone would be tonight." Happy finished. Lucy met Happy's worried expression.
"He would have waited until our guard was down and we were spread far enough apart, he wanted us away from the guild hall." She locked eyes with Natsu, who was finally following her train of thought and met her horrified look.
"Natsu, we need to get back to the infirmary."
––
In the dimmed light of the Fairy Tail guild hall, Wendy was stationed at a table not far from the infirmary. A glass of water and a small book were laid on the table in front of her.
"Wendy, child, you really should try to get some rest," Carla prodded quietly.
"I'm okay Carla, really. Besides, if Gray wakes up and needs anything, I'd like to be awake so I can help take care of him." She smiled wearily. Carla gave her a concerned look, but decided not to push the matter any further.
Levy was settled at a table a small ways away from Wendy and perked her head up. "Speaking of Gray, since it's been a little while, maybe now would be a good time to check on him? If he's still asleep, you could lie down for a bit, Wendy. If he needs anything we can always come and wake you." Levy suggested. The group decided it would be best for Mira to head home from the guild hall for the night, so that left Team Natsu and Levy on the property.
"That's a great idea, Levy!" Wendy rose from her seat, stepping behind the bar of the guild hall to grab a small glass of water. "I'll bring him another cup of water just in case he needs it." She smiled at Carla and Levy before making her way toward the infirmary.
Carla smiled at the blue-haired mage. "Thank you, Levy. I know Wendy means well, but I'd hate to see her fall ill from pushing herself too hard, either," Carla sighed. Levy smiled, the exhaustion evident in her eyes, as well.
"It's no problem, I'm sure Gray is probably out cold after everything, anyways." The smile fell from her face, remembering the state and situation her guild mate was in. "I just hope everything is going to be okay," her voice hovered above a whisper.
Wendy approached the infirmary, trying her best to be quiet. While she wanted to check on Gray, she knew sleep would be best for him for the time being and didn't want to rouse him.
As she grabbed the doorknob, she gasped and immediately ripped her hand away. It was ice cold to the touch. She stared in shock, brows furrowed at how something could be so cold during the hottest season of the year.
Setting the glass down for a moment, she reached for the door knob again, firmly twisting the stiff knob and bumping the door with her shoulder. She shivered head to toe upon entering before retrieving the glass again.
The room looked normal, and she couldn't understand how it was absolutely freezing in the small space. A pained grunt pulled her from her thoughts and her eyes shot to Gray's bed.
"Gray, are you awake?" she questioned softly. She could see only the end of his bed from her current position in the room, but could see the blanket had clearly been thrown off the bed. She took a few soft steps forward, finally seeing Gray's body as she approached the bed.
"Agh–!" Wendy jumped at the sudden groan, now sounding almost panicked.
"Gray…?" She stepped closer to the bed and pulled back the curtain. She covered her mouth as a shocked yelp escaped her.
Head to toe, Gray was covered in what looked almost like tattoos. His arms and legs, hands, neck, and up on his face. Every visible part of him was covered with them. Wendy quickly realized they looked like vines–just how she'd heard the Tracker's guild mark described.
"G-Gray, what's going on?" She stepped closer, seeing Gray's eyes closed tightly and jaw clenched. She ran to his side, watching closely as the vines covering his skin continued to move. Gray's body was locked tensely, his back arched in pain, fists clenched with white knuckles.
Wendy watched the vines surrounding his chest begin to constrict, she could see the indentations on his skin where the dark markings forced the air from his lungs. Gray let out a hoarse, pained cry, which was quickly cut off by the lack of oxygen.
Gray managed to crack one eye open, damn near growling at the young girl. "Wendy, RUN–"
––
They ran back to the hall, the three of them hoping–praying, that they were wrong. The hunch they had could be totally wrong, and Gray would be fast asleep at the guild hall, unscathed, and safe.
Rounding the corner to the front entrance, the trio sprinted once the front door was within eyeshot. Natsu and Lucy slammed into one door each, skidding to a halt.
Levy jumped out of her seat with a shriek, frantically rising from her seat. "Guys, what happened?!"
"Where's Gray!?" Natsu demanded.
"Still in the infirmary, Wendy just went to check on him–"
The sound of glass shattering followed by a blood curdling scream put all four guild members in motion.
––
Updated August 2024–any and all feedback is appreciated.