The team make their way to Acropolis to get Earthland-Gray and Natsu home and hopefully destroy the Purging stone for good. Gray faces some painful memories.

tw for graphic violence and death

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make no apology, it's death or victory
on my authority
crash and burn, young and loaded

They weren't being followed. Gray sighed with relief as they ducked through the streets, weapons drawn, curious eyes following them. Nobody was hostile, though – no shots were fired. Maybe the Magehunter had been telling the truth after all. Maybe she was the only one who knew. Gray prayed that was true, because if Joekel and Faust found out about Otherworld...

"This way," he hissed, ducking into a narrow alley between two buildings and shimmying through it. The back opened into a sprawling area of dead undergrowth, stunted trees, and garbage. They picked their way through it, careful to avoid the larger brambles that grew spikes long enough to slice through their clothes.

"Is that the ship?" other-Natsu whispered, pointing to a slight shimmer in the air ahead of them.

"Good eye," Gray said, gesturing for them to move ahead of him toward the invisibility field. "Hop on, quick. We don't want anyone following us." He turned and scanned behind them one more time before following everyone onto the small craft.

"Ready?" Erza gave Gray a concerned look and he nodded at her sharply, moving to the back of the craft. He tucked his weapon into his leg holster, then settled into a seat near Sting and Rogue. He hadn't been in this ship since she'd rescued him from Imperium. The memories were vague and hazy, and filled with pain.

The craft took off slowly, moving through the crevasse that eventually opened up over the ocean. Gray swallowed heavily, keeping his eyes closed as the tiny ship rocked back and forth, battered by the wind.

"We've got a bit of a storm to contend with," Erza shouted as other-Gray and Natsu stumbled into seats near the front of the ship. "Everybody sit down, it could get bumpy. We'll be there in a about fifteen minutes, so get ready to jump."

Jump. Right. That was what they were here for. Gray stood again, stripping off his shirt, jacket and pants and leaving only a thin undersuit designed to keep out the water and cold.

"Ĉu vi estas bone?" Sting asked, reaching out and touching Gray's elbow gently. Gray jumped at the touch, then sighed, relaxing and sitting down next to Sting. "Close your eyes." Gray shook his head, accepting Rogue's hand when it snuck into his.

"I'll be fine," he said, voice still hoarse from the smoke. "But they found the hideout."

"What?" Rogue's eyes widened and he sat up, alarmed.

"This perfulido betrayed us," Gray growled, looking up at Kanan, who was sitting in the farthest seat in the back, head in his hands. "Brought a Magehunter to us. Tried to let her take Nat—other-Natsu. And other-me."

"You whoreson," Sting growled, moving to stand, but Gray shook his head and nudged him back into his seat.

"They've got his daughter," Gray said quietly. "I folded too, when it was Lyon's life at stake." Sting sighed, leaning his head against Gray's. "Frak, I'm just so tired of fighting. Tired of killing, tired of being afraid." Gray rubbed his face, then squeezed Rogue's hand. "This ends today."

"This is as close as I can get you," Erza said, glancing at the dash of the ship. The invisibility field outside flickered dangerously. "Everyone ready?"

Gray glanced back at the group – everyone was dressed in their thin undersuits – the rest of their gear was packed safely in the inter-dimensional pocket.

"Everyone remember the plan?" he asked, steadying himself against the back of Erza's chair. The storm outside was worsening and the little ship was being battered by the angry winds. "If we get separated, we rendezvous at the north end of the shipyards. Stay out of sight, don't start anything." Here he looked directly at other-Natsu, who had the audacity to wink at him. He sighed. "Let's go."

Erza gave him one last glance, looking like she wanted to grab his hand but refraining from doing so. Instead, she flipped the switch to open the door.

The wind immediately filled the ship, slamming into them and rocking it back and forth violently. Sting and Rogue slid towards the door, glancing back at Gray before both leaping into the ocean. Other-Natsu swallowed heavily, peering over the edge.

"See you there," he whispered, turning and hugging other-Gray tightly. Gray looked away, trying desperately to tamp down the jealously simmering in his chest. He jumped when he felt a soft brush against the back of his hand. "Good luck," Other-Natsu said, almost shyly. Gray hesitated, then squeezed other-Natsu's fingers.

"Go," he said roughly. Other-Natsu gave him a soft smile, then turned and leaped out the door.

"Ready?" Edo-Gray asked. Gray nodded, stepping towards the entrance and glancing down at the roiling ocean.

Water over his head, bubbles escaping his lips before he could bring them back, thick hands around his neck holding him under, under, under. The world was muffled, and he thrashed against the tight grip, feeling cold panic overtake him as water began to seep into his nose and mouth. He couldn't breathe. Oh gods, he couldn't breathe, and he was going to—

"Gray! What's wrong?"

Something touched his arm and he jerked away like it burned. The ship shook violently again, and he staggered, grabbing the wall.

He was free. The water was freezing, and his hands were shaking, and his heart was pounding so hard he thought he might die, but he was in the water and swimming away. Away from the pain and torture.

The ocean slammed into him, heavy and angry, and he gasped against the salty water filling his mouth. Another wave crashed into him, dragging him under and pulling at his limbs, and for a moment he considered letting go, letting it take him.

"Gray!"

There was another touch on his arm and he shoved against whoever it was, hand going to his leg where his gun was holstered.

"Don't touch me," he gasped, shaking his head. "This isn't real."

His arms windmilled, trying to pull him above the surface but the waves were too strong, and the storm raged overhead. When he finally surfaced the rain pounded around him, wind whipping the water into his face. Another wave surged over him, and another, and his arms grew weaker and weaker. Salt water filled his mouth and nose and he choked, trying to catch a breath as he was pulled under over and over again.

He woke, later, in his cell, Revik standing over him and grinning.

"Now we know how far prisoners can get."

"Gray, snap out of it!" There was no touch this time, just his own angry voice and when he blinked and looked over, other-Gray was staring at him with a mixture of frustration and concern. "We're going to lose them; we have to jump now. Let's go!"

Waves, and waves, and waves, and he couldn't breathe. He couldn't breathe.

"I c-can't," he stuttered, hand coming to his throat. Other-Gray sighed in frustration, then gave him a hard stare.

"Jump," he commanded. His voice was hard, like sharp pieces of broken glass. "Natsu's waiting for us. Yours and mine. We have to jump, now." Gray stepped forward hesitantly, staring down again at the waves.

"I can't hold us here any longer!" Erza shouted. Gray flinched when he felt a hand grab his.

"C'mon," other-Gray said. "Together." He tugged at Gray, pulling him further forward. The wind whipped Gray's hair into his eyes and he could already feel the sting of the salt water on his cheeks. "Jump. Now."

Part of him knew that other-Gray wasn't actually ordering him, and that he didn't have to listen, but enough of him was conditioned to that tone of voice that he squeezed his eyes shut, let go of other-Gray's hand, and jumped.

The water was freezing. Even through the suit he could feel the cold seeping in, and he shouted at the sensation, moving his arms frantically to push himself over an oncoming wave. Frak, which way was Imperium? He looked around, seeing other-Gray's head bobbing in the water nearby.

"C'mon!" Other-Gray shouted. A wave swelled up behind Gray and he ducked under it, coming out on the other side. He spit out a mouthful of water and then turned to follow other-Gray, bringing his arms around in powerful strokes. He could do this. This was real. They were going to make things right.

~

"Gray?"

He was huddled against the wall, knees pulled up to his chest, glaring angrily at the waves that had pushed him to shore. This was the shipyards, but he had no idea which way to go. Everything was scattered in his mind – it wasn't real. Was it? Or was this just another trick?

"I don't know," he whispered, staring up at other-Gray and shivering. "I can't... are you? Please, I can't, I can't go back. Nei lasu min reiri."

"It's okay," other-Gray reassured him. "Ci tio estas reala, you're not going back. I promise." He reached out a hand and let it hover in front of Gray, waiting for him to take it. "We have to go meet up with the others. Are you hurt? Can you stand?"

"Y-yeah, I'm okay." Gray shivered, hesitantly accepting other-Gray's hand as he pulled him to his feet. He wiped the tears and water from his face, then ran a hand through his hair. "I'm... okay. I'm okay. Drek, I'm sorry."

"Don't be," other-Gray said, not letting go of his hand. "But we're behind everyone. We need to catch up to get Sting to the relays. Do you know where we are?"

Gray looked up, taking stock of the buildings around him. His only time on Imperium had been in the Acropolis, but he had studied the holographs enough that this was vaguely familiar. He pointed in the direction that he was fairly certain was north.

"That way."

They walked for nearly half an hour, dodging out of sight of several dock workers and hiding behind shipping crates and other debris. Eventually Gray caught sight of pink hair – the water had washed away the dye. They darted over to the group, crouching down with them behind a stack of boxes.

"Gray!" Rogue whispered, grabbing his hand and pulling him into a tight embrace. "We were so worried. Are you alright?" Rogue ran his hands over Gray's face, eyebrows furrowed in concern. Sting placed a hand on his lower back.

"I'm fine – we're fine," Gray said, shivering and turning to other-Natsu. "You ready?"

Other-Natsu swallowed, leaning against his own Gray who wrapped an arm around him and pressed a kiss to his temple.

"You can do this," he whispered, and Gray echoed the sentiment. Natsu nodded, taking a deep breath and sitting cross-legged. He closed his eyes, reaching his hand out into the air in front of him.

At first, nothing happened. After a second the air began to shimmer, and Gray could see a small crack appearing next to other-Natsu's outstretched hand. He watched as the opening widened, shimmering in the air. Gray glanced around quickly to make sure nobody was approaching, and when he glanced back at other-Natsu, blood was dripping from his nose.

"You've got this," other-Gray whispered, hand on the small of other-Natsu's back. Other-Natsu grunted, hand trembling as he tugged out the first small bag.

The next fifteen minutes were agonizing. Sting, Rogue and Gray took turns patrolling the perimeter of the small area, knowing that if they were spotted, they'd be helpless to defend themselves. Other-Gray remained with Natsu, cradling him as he grew weaker and weaker and his face slowly lost color. Blood trickled from his ears, nose, and mouth, and the gasping sounds he made were heartbreaking.

"We have to stop," other-Gray begged eventually, brushing other-Natsu's hair back from his sweaty forehead. "He can't keep this up." Other-Natsu was shivering, eyes glassy and unfocused, and Gray nodded in agreement.

"We have almost everything anyways," he said roughly, staring at the pile of armor and weapons that other-Natsu had managed to extract from the inter-dimensional space. He nodded at Rogue and Sting who began to quickly don the heavy riot gear – black chestplates and leg-guards that snapped over their undersuits. Thigh holsters provided them all with two pistols, and Sting snapped some complicated equipment that Gray didn't understand over his ear. It interfaced with the lines of tech that ran under his cybernetic eye and made his false eye flicker.

"Now what?" Other-Gray asked, tugging on his armguards. He tucked the currently-not-functioning comm in his ear and then glanced down at other-Natsu, who was lying on the ground and very close to unconsciousness. "We can't leave him here."

Gray stared at the blood on other-Natsu's cheeks, and the way his chest rose and fell erratically. He looked just like Gray's own Natsu, that day in Acropolis where they'd freed everyone, and Gray had lost everything.

"I can carry him," he said. He was the only one that was strong enough. "We need to get him geared up, though. If we get caught, he needs to be protected."

"We're not going to get caught," Sting said, hand resting lightly on one of his pistols. "But we need to move. They're changing out the guards soon and that's the best time to slip in."

They all helped to dress Natsu in his gear, working with the quick efficiency of people with their lives on the line. Then they helped lift him up onto Gray's back, arms draped around his neck. Other-Gray gave him an uncertain look.

"You okay?" he asked as Gray shifted other-Natsu on his back. His skin prickled wherever the heat of other-Natsu's body made it through his suit, and a wave of nausea washed over him. But he was done being scared.

"I'm fine," he grunted, moving forward. "Let's go."

~

Inciting a riot was easier than they'd expected. The docks were a short walk from the market district, which was sparsely populated due to the inclement weather. A light rain continued to trickle down through the canopies of the market stalls, and Gray was thankful for the waterproof gear they wore.

"We need to get around that corner," he whispered, crouched behind some crates next to other-Gray. He'd set Natsu down for the moment, propped against a wall. Natsu was slowly regaining consciousness, but his eyes were still glazed, and he couldn't walk.

"Past the statue?" Other-Gray pointed at the enormous stone monument to Faust that sat directly in the center of the city square. Gray snorted and nodded his head.

"Mm." He tapped his fingers anxiously against his leg, glancing back at Rogue and Sting. "So, smoke first, explosions where we won't be hurting civilians. Head straight into Acropolis." Sting nodded, fingers twitching against his gun holster. Gray could tell that Sting was nervous about getting the comms up, but there wasn't much he could do to comfort him. "Ready?"

"Let's do this," Rogue whispered, helping Gray hoist other-Natsu onto his back again.

They all broke out at a run at the same time, masks up and weapons ready. At first the civilians were too surprised to react – they just stared at the group with wide, frightened eyes. Then other-Gray dropped the first smoke bomb, and everything devolved into pandemonium.

The market filled with shouts and screams as people stampeded out of the market. The merchants operating the stalls began pulling their tables inward and hiding behind them for protection. An empty area just up on the left was the perfect place for the first explosion, and other-Gray tossed a spellcube there, covering his face as the explosion sounded throughout the market district.

"All units to the market!" A sharp, angry voice cut through the smoke, which thickened with the second grenade that Rogue rolled ahead of them. None of them spoke, just moved cautiously along the wall, inching towards the middle of the square. "Armed terrorists in the square, I repeat, all units to the market!"

"Now," Gray hissed, pushing other-Gray forward gently. They were less than two feet away from the guard captain, who had his pistol out and was holding it in front of him cautiously. Civilians were running towards him, screaming and clutching their possessions to their chests, and his weapon wavered. Other-Gray hefted a spellcube in his hand and aimed it at the statue, waiting for the crowd around it to move away before launching the explosive at the base of the monument.

The blast was perfect, causing the guard captain to turn away from them and cracking the base of the statue at the same time. Gray watched with deep satisfaction as the likeness of Faust began to crumble, tipping dangerously to one side.

"Go, now!" Other-Gray darted around the corner and the rest of the group followed, leaving another smoke grenade in their wake. Gray felt the weight of other-Natsu heavy against his back, but the adrenaline buzzing through him made it impossible to focus on the uncomfortable sensation of someone else's body pressing against his.

Miraculously, it worked. They made it to the entrance of Acropolis without running into anyone, and Rogue made quick work of the guards at the front door with two sharp knives to their throats. He and Sting dragged the bodies inside, and they all ran down the hall, finally stopping outside the server room.

"Frak," Sting gasped, hands on his knees, catching his breath. "Everyone okay?" Gray set other-Natsu down gently against the wall and was happy to see that his eyes were clearer, and he appeared to be more awake.

"We're all alive," Gray said cautiously, reaching out and squeezing Sting's arm. "You're up."

"No pressure," Sting grumbled, running a hand through his hair and moving over to the datascreen just outside the server room door. He pressed his hand against it, and lines and lines of complex code began flickering over the surface, going beyond anything Gray had ever learned. Sting closed his eyes and the tech on his face lit up as it interfaced with the Acropolis. Gray could see Sting's false eye moving behind his eyelid and it was several agonizing minutes before he opened it again. "We're in," he said softly as the door slid open.

"Good job, love," Rogue said, kissing his cheek. "All right, I'll cover Sting. You get these two to the Purging stone and get them the hell out of here. We'll radio when the comms are up." Gray nodded, taking a shaky breath at the idea of approaching the Purging stone again.

"Good luck," other-Gray said quietly. He had helped other-Natsu up and was looking at Rogue uncertainly. "Thank you. For helping us." He swallowed. "It's been..."

Rogue stepped forward and pulled both boys into an embrace, kissing their foreheads and smiling at them.

"We'll miss you both," he said. Gray could see the conflict on other-Gray's face, and he realized with a start that these two were actually going to leave. It had been their goal since day one, but after three months together, it was hard to believe that in a few minutes, they would be gone. "Good luck. You've helped a lot of people."

"Hope it works," other-Natsu said, words slightly slurred. "An' you get back your magic." Rogue gave him a half-smile, squeezing his arm before stepping back to Sting.

"You'd better get going," Sting said roughly, hugging them both before gesturing down the hallway. "Thank you." He turned to Gray, giving him a look that made Gray's stomach twist.

"C'mere," he said, taking Gray's arm and pulling him close. Gray leaned in and kissed him, then Rogue, trying to memorize how they felt beneath his lips. Sting pressed their foreheads together tightly and Gray squeezed Sting's arm.

"I love you," Sting said softly, pressing another kiss to Gray's cheeks. "We both do, and we always will. No matter what happens, okay?"

Gray swallowed back the lump that appeared in his throat. The air around them felt hot and his mouth was dry, suddenly. All the anxiety and anticipation from the past three months that he'd been pushing away was here, suddenly, and he exhaled hard to keep himself grounded.

"I don't want to lose you," he said quietly, hoping the others couldn't hear.

"You won't," Rogue reassured him.

"Even if—"

"No matter what." Sting kissed him again, running gentle fingertips over Gray's cheek before taking a step back. "Go get them home, okay?"

As the server room door slid shut and locked with a hiss, Gray led the other-Gray and Natsu down the hallway, following the paths from memory. Icy tendrils of fear tried to claw their way through him, but he pushed past them, full of anger and adrenaline. It didn't take long to get to the hallway with the very familiar hangar where he and Natsu had first infiltrated Acropolis place three years ago.

Peeking around a corner, Gray cursed when he saw a group of guards and a Magehunter. They were right outside the Purging room – of course it would be guarded. He glanced back at other-Gray, who was still supporting other-Natsu with an arm around his waist. They both had weapons out, but Gray could tell they were in no condition to fight.

"I'm gonna distract them, get them to come after me," he whispered, gesturing to the group ahead of them. "Get into the room and use the spell Erza gave you. It should turn the stone into a portal and get you home."

"What about you?" other-Natsu asked weakly. His brow was furrowed in that familiar look of concern and it made Gray's heart ache. He was still holding out hope for seeing his own Natsu today – if they could get the Wall down.

"I'll be fine," he said, drawing both his pistols and giving them a wry smile. "Good luck." It hurt to say it. He didn't want to admit it, but he had grown attached to the two of them – even if it was still strange looking at his younger self.

"Don't do anything stupid," other-Gray said, shifting Natsu's weight on his shoulders. "Sting and Rogue need you. And so does Natsu." Gray felt an uncomfortable flush running up his chest and into his face and he attempted to tamp it down as quickly as possible.

"I'll do my best," he whispered. Hesitantly, he reached out a hand and squeezed both of theirs, content that he was able to do it without flinching. "Now, go. Don't look back, just run as fast as you can."

Before either of them could say anything, Gray turned the corner and fired at the group of guards.

~

The fight was short. Despite all four of the guards being armed, Gray had the element of surprise, as well as a grenade. They had chased him down the corridor and around another hallway, leaving other-Gray and Natsu plenty of space to run to the Purging room. Now Gray leaned against the wall, bodies on the floor around him, hand pressed against his stomach. One of them had managed to stab him near the still-healing wound from the heist and rip open the stitches.

"After all the effort you put into leaving this place... you're back."

Gray froze as the cold, flat, terrifyingly familiar voice of Revik came from behind him. He growled, whipping around and as acid bubbled in his throat.

"Frak you," Gray hissed, trying to tamp down the terror that was now overriding the adrenaline in his body. Revik looked the same as three years ago – neat hair, neat clothes, genial face. Memories started flooding back, of scalpels and whips and drugs and...

"You're still afraid." Revik took a step forward. He appeared unarmed and Gray's hand drifted to his gun. "Don't." The word was sharp and firm and Gray's hand immediately stopped moving.

"I'm not afraid..." he said around the heavy pressure in his chest. Tightness spread through his limbs and he felt his breath quicken into short, panicked breaths. "You can't..."

"I can do whatever I want," Revik said mildly, stepping closer to Gray. He reached out and took both guns from Gray's holsters, then threw them on the floor and kicked them down the hallway, smiling all the while. Gray's hands twitched, wanting to push Revik away, but something in his brain screamed he'll hurt you, he'll hurt you, pain, pain, pain.

"Don't..." His voice shook as Revik brought a hand up to his throat, pressing carefully.

"Pathetic," Revik said, leaving his hand loose around Gray's neck. "You really thought you could come back here and save everyone? I'm going to find all your friends, and I'm going to kill them while you watch. Just like I did with your brother."

Gray flinched, trying as hard as he could to press himself into the wall. He needed to get away. No, he needed to do what Revik said. If he listened, if he obeyed, maybe Revik wouldn't hurt them.

"...h-r me?" Gray jumped as a voice sounded in his ear – Sting's voice. It was distorted and unclear, but it was Sting. They'd got the comms back online. "Gr-y, -an y- h-ar -e?"

Gray looked at Revik, who appeared to be unable to hear the signal from the comm hidden under Gray's hair. Gray exhaled shakily, swallowing under the light pressure of Revik's hand.

"We h-ar you!" The line became clearer and Gray recognized Bickslow's voice – he was leading the team in Louen. "Are we ready? This entire town's rioting now, we can only keep people outta the generator room for so long."

"We're ready too!" Hibiki this time, in Sycca, and Gray could hear something like explosions behind him. "I can't believe you did it, this is... we're actually going to do this!"

"Gray, are you there?" Sting's voice was loud and clear this time, but Revik still didn't react. He was looking at Gray with a calm, placid grin that was somehow a hundred times more terrifying than a sneer.

"You won't find them, Revik," Gray said, trying to keep his voice even. "You're too late." He heard Sting curse in the earpiece.

"Frak, Revik found Gray." There was the sound of typing, then a loud beep. "All right everyone, we're doing this now. Everybody ready? You all have the code?" There were words of assent from Bickslow and Hibiki. "Three, two, one..."

"I know exactly where your friends are," Revik said amicably, pressing down on Gray's throat. Gray made a sound that was a mix between a choke and a whimper.

It has to work, he thought desperately, still paralyzed with a deeply ingrained terror. Please, it has to work. There was nothing but silence through the comms and he closed his eyes, exhaling shakily. If this didn't work, he was going to die here. Revik was going to tear him to pieces, and Gray was going to let him.

"It's down!" Bickslow's joyful shout made Gray snap his head back, slamming it against the wall. He winced, trying to avoid Revik's suspicious gaze. "Sankta ŝo, it's down. Gods, we did it."

"Erza, send out the signal and find the rest of the guild." Sting's voice was breathless with relief. "It's gonna get messy, so everybody be ready. We need you all back here as soon as you can – take the maglevs if you can. Overpower the guards. We need to take this castle and frag that stone." He paused. "Gray, can you tell me where you are? Did the other two get out?"

"The Wall is down," Gray stuttered, willing his hands to come up and throw Revik away from him. They remained immobilized at his side; his entire body paralyzed with ice-cold terror. "You can't keep them out anymore. The mages are coming for you." Revik's eyes widened incrementally, but he otherwise remained completely neutral, totally calm.

"That's it, Gray." Rogue's voice now, soft and reassuring. There was a click and a beep, and Gray hoped it meant that they had switched to a private channel. "You can do this. He doesn't control you anymore."

"Nothing can bring down the Acropolis," Revik said, sounding completely disinterested. "We have a hundred Magehunters here. They'll tear your little rebellion apart." Gray's heart hammered in his chest and he hoped to gods that other-Gray and Natsu had made it through. He didn't want them here when everything fell apart.

"You..." Gray trailed off as Revik released his grip, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a datapad. He casually opened the screen, revealing a vid of Sting and Rogue, bent over the server units and working furiously to dismantle what security measures they could.

"I know exactly where they are," Revik repeated, tapping the vid and smiling. "So I've sent Magehunters after them. They'll be kept alive, of course - I've made my expectations very clear." Gray's breath caught in his throat. "They'll become familiar with your old room, in fact. I think the floor is still bloodstained from your last beating."

"Frak. You." Gray ground out, feeling his hands move jerkily. He had to protect them. "You stay away from them." He took a breath, calculating the risk of exposing his comm. "Rogue, Sting, get out of there. They're coming for you." A minute flash of anger crossed Revik's face and he reached up to Gray's ear immediately, ripping out the tech.

"Clever," he said mildly, "but too late. I'm going to peel the skin from their bodies, pluck out that young man's eye and study it." Gray's stomach churned and he lifted his lip in a snarl. "And you're going to watch," Revik added. "You're going to hear every scream and plea and—"

"Shut UP!" Something snapped in Gray's mind, hot and furious. His arms came up and he shoved Revik, knocking him to the ground. Revik's eyes grew wide in genuine surprise and he moved to push himself up, but Gray was faster, driving a heavy boot in his side. Revik grunted in pain as Gray kicked him again, then darted down the hallway and scooped his gun up off the floor. He pointed it at Revik, hand trembling.

"Drop the gun." Revik's voice was firm and Gray's immediate reaction was to comply, but he snarled and shook his head as if shaking away a bad dream. "Drop. The. Gun."

"No." Gray bared his teeth and moved towards Revik, keeping the gun trained on his head. "I'm done with you." His finger wavered on the trigger and a real look of fear appeared in Revik's eyes. He raised his hands and tried to look placating.

"Look, we can—"

Gray squeezed the trigger, and the bolt went right between Revik's eyes, snapping his head back and knocking him to the floor. A pool of blood quickly began to spread from behind him, trickling down to his clothes and staining the shoulders of his shirt. His eyes were wide and unseeing – death had taken him instantly.

"You deserved worse," Gray panted, reaching down and grabbing the comm from the floor. He fitted it back in his ear, hands shaking so badly he dropped his gun.

"—ray! Where are you? Answer, please!" Sting's voice was panicked and full of fear.

"I'm okay." Gray tried to keep his voice steady, but it got stuck in his throat. Tears began coursing down his cheeks, hot and heavy, and he raised a hand to his face, covering his eyes. "Frak, I... he's flatlined. I killed him."

"Oh, love." Rogue's voice again. "Are you okay?"

Gray took several deep breaths, trying to calm his trembling hands, and crouched down to pick up his gun. A clanking sound at the end of the hallway had him ducking into an alcove, wiping the tears from his face and putting a hand over his chest to calm his pounding heart. He glanced back at Revik's corpse and shuddered. He would have time to dissect how he felt about this later. Right now, he needed to survive.

"Not really." He peeked around the corner and saw a squad of Magehunters, weapons at the ready, charging down the hallway. "I've got company. I think the other two made it through the portal. Are we waiting for the rest of the guild?"

"Yes." Sting coughed wetly and Gray's made a concerned sound. "Don't worry, I'm fine. Just grazed me, we took them out. They're coming in squads now, though, the fires aren't distracting them anymore. Erza's gonna bring the guild right to the front door – Laxus should be useful to skrag the stone. Can you get to the entrance?"

"I think so," Gray whispered, crouching down as the Magehunters approached. "I'll see you on the other side."

~

Gray collapsed on his knees, panting with exhaustion. He couldn't do this. He was already bleeding from his shoulder, his stomach and his thigh, and he'd run out of Fix a long time ago. He'd lost count of how many Magehunters and soldiers he'd taken out – more than enough to seriously wound him. He'd finally made it to the entrance, but Sting, Rogue and the rest of the guild were nowhere to be seen.

Gray struggled to his feet, pistol gripped loosely in one hand, and leaned heavily against the wall, looking around for more Magehunters. A set of heads appeared on the edge of the hill outside the doors and he snarled, staggering towards them and firing. Something dark came sailing through the air and landed near his feet, and it took him a second to realize it was a grenade.

"Get down!"

Something solid slammed into him and pinned him to the ground as the grenade erupted, sending pieces of shrapnel flying through the air. Gray cried out in pain as the bits of metal ripped through his pants and into his shins, but the body on top of him took most of the blast.

"Are you okay? We saw the signals, the rest of the guild is almost here, I couldn't believe you made it across the... Wall..."

Gray blinked, reaching up to rub the dust from his eyes. A shock of pink hair greeted him – other-Natsu? He frowned, pushing himself up on his elbows. They were supposed to be gone.

Wait.

His gaze moved over to the deep scar through Natsu's eye. Gray's stomach dropped out from under him, the sounds of explosions and shouting fading into the background. Blood rushed to his face as he reached up hesitantly, fingers trailing over Natsu's face. His right arm was missing.

"Natsu?" He whispered, voice breaking. "Is... is it..."

"Gray?" Natsu's face was twisted in confusion, brow furrowed, eyes wet. "But you're... I saw you die. You're not... oh god, you're alive." Natsu's hand covered Gray's, pressing it against his face. "You're alive."

"It was... they faked it," Gray whispered, bringing his other hand up to run through Natsu's hair. It was longer than he remembered. He looked older – lines crinkling the corners of his eyes, stubble on his jaw. "I wanted to get back to you so badly, I'm so sorry, I missed you every day, I missed you so badly, I'm sorry, I'm sorry..." Tears streamed down Gray's cheeks again, making tracks in the dirt that covered his face. He leaned forward, pressing his forehead to Natsu's chest.

"Shhh, it's okay," Natsu whispered, kissing the top of his head. His voice was shaky and his hand left Gray's to run gently up and down his back. "I can't believe you're alive." He buried his face in Gray's hair and let out a soft sob. "Frak, I missed you so much."

Gray's hands made their way to the back of Natsu's shirt and he clung to Natsu, fingers digging desperately into the fabric. The pain in his stomach and shoulder were forgotten, and the only thing he could hear was Natsu's heartbeat. Natsu was here, in his arms, real.

"Mi bedaŭras," he sobbed. "Mi bedaŭras, bonvolu pardoni min, mi amas vin." He suddenly felt dirty, felt like all the darkness in him was spreading through his hands into Natsu. He pulled away, wiping the back of his hand across his face.

"I don't understand what you're saying, love," Natsu said gently, reaching out again to touch Gray's face. Of course Natsu didn't understand. He'd never lived where Underspeak was spoken, never done terrible things to survive, never betrayed the people he loved. "Gray, look at me."

"I'm sorry," Gray whispered again. "I'm sorry, I love you."

"I love you too," Natsu whispered, brushing his hair from his eyes and gazing at him sadly. "What did they do to you?" His fingers trailed over the scar on Gray's face and Gray ducked his head, ashamed. "You're okay now. I'm here. We're gonna get out of this together. Where are the others?"

Gray gestured northward weakly, still feeling a deep, sorrowful ache in his chest. The real world was starting to come back to him and he dropped his hand back down to his stomach. The wound from the heist was aching and when he brought his hand away, it came back a deep red.

"I can't go far," he said softly, breathing shakily though the pain. "Got shot a few times."

"I'll carry you," Natsu said, leaning in and kissing his cheek. "I'm never leaving you again."

As he moved to help Gray up, another grenade came flying through the air, landing several feet from them. Natsu glanced at it, then back to Gray with a desperate look.

"I love you so much," he said, wrapping his arm around Gray, who felt grief tear through him. It couldn't end. Not like this. Not when they'd just found each other again.

The grenade clicked once and they both tensed against each other, anticipating the blast, but it never came. Instead the air around them became cold as a crackling wall of ice sprang out of the ground to protect them. Gray's eyes widened.

"What the... this is your magic," Natsu said, bewildered, as he peered up at the icy dome. "You saved us with this." A shout came from behind them and suddenly Gray could see flames raining down on the hill, blurred by the ice.

"It's them," Gray said weakly, leaning heavily against Natsu. The ice wall started to shatter and disappear, crumbling slowly to the ground, and then other-Gray was kneeling next to them, icy patterns trailing up his arms.

"You found each other," he said, ghost of a smile coloring his lips. He leaned over and hugged Natsu tightly. "I'm so happy to see you again. Are you okay? I've got a 'derm and some bandages." Other-Natsu stood over them, hands wreathed in flame. Another enemy appeared on the hill and he snarled, hurling a fireball at them.

"You're... s'posed to be gone," Gray ground out, watching his other-self hand the med supplies to his Natsu. Natsu tipped Gray's head to the side and stuck the patch on his neck, then tugged up his shirt and began bandaging his wounds with quick efficiency. Gray tried his hardest not to flinch, not to shy away from the hands he knew were gentle and loving.

"Apparently that's not how it works," other-Natsu said, eyes scanning the area. He looked ethereal with the light of his flames reflecting on his face. Seeing the two Natsus next to each other was uncanny, and it was easy to see how different they were. Gray was still trying not to focus on his Natsu's missing arm. "It gave us back our magic, but wouldn't let us through." He swallowed heavily. "We need to destroy it."

"You'll never get back," Natsu argued, but other-Gray shook his head.

"We don't have time to experiment," he said firmly, tucking the medkit back into the pocket on his pants. Gray gestured weakly to his shoulder and Natsu peeled his shirt back, making a face at the wound and beginning to bandage it. "We need the spellcubes from the portal but Natsu's having trouble opening it." Even with his magic returned, other-Natsu was pale, and his cheeks were still smudged red from the nosebleeds.

"Maybe I can help grab them," Natsu offered. Gray glanced down at Natsu's Purge mark, half burned away into thick scar tissue. "I still have some magic." He held up his hand and a flame danced in his palm.

"But you'll never get home," Gray whispered, looking up at other-Gray and other-Natsu and feeling panic rising in his chest. "You deserve to get home, you need to—you have your guild, people who love you, and..."

"We have that here, too," other-Natsu said gently, crouching down beside them. "Besides, maybe we'll find another way. But right now, we need to find Faust and Joekel and blow this thing, even if it doesn't get your magic back. This is the only chance we're gonna get to get rid of him."

Another explosion tore through the courtyard and Gray raised a hand to his earpiece.

"Rogue, Sting, you okay?" Natsu's eyes it up at the mention of their friends.

"We- o-a- -ots -eavy f-re." Rogue's voice came through, thick with static, gunfire echoing in the background. "Wh-re a-e -ou?"

"We're on the hill by the entrance," Gray said, groaning at the pain his stomach. Natsu placed a gentle hand there and Gray was mortified when he couldn't control a flinch. Natsu frowned and went to withdraw his hand, but Gray shook his head and grabbed Natsu's wrist, keeping it in place. "We're gonna blow the stone. The rest of the guild is almost here, they're gonna use their magic and help us push through the Magehunters." He looked at Natsu who nodded, glancing back over the hill. "You guys get back to the docks, all right?"

"Copy." Sting's voice came through this time, much clearer but tight with pain. "Did the other two make it through?"

"No," Gray replied, looking sadly up at other-Natsu and other-Gray. "It didn't work. They're with us, we'll meet you back at the docks. Get out of here."

"Bonŝancon," Sting replied, breathing heavily. His voice softened. "If we don't see each other again, ni amas vin." Gray's cheeks immediately turned red and he avoided Natsu's curious gaze.

"Mi ankau amas vin du," he said softly. "But we will see each other again. I promise."

-----

Underspeak Translations

Ĉu vi estas bone? = Are you okay?
perfidulo = traitor
Nei lasu min reiri = Don't make me go back
Ci tio estas reala = This is real
Mi bedaŭras = I'm sorry
Mi bedaŭras, bonvolu pardoni min, mi amas vin = I'm sorry, please forgive me, I love you
Bonŝancon= Good luck
Ni amas vin = we love you
Mi ankau amas vin du = I love you two, too