Chapter Ten

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Natsu 

A sliver of sunlight that peeked through the curtains fell on my eyelids, making me stir awake.

What time is it? I thought drowsily, tossing myself to the other side. I pulled the covers tighter over my body and snuggles into the pillow as my eyes slowly opened. I hadn't remembered falling asleep, in fact, I didn't expect myself to get much sleep at all, considering the circumstances.

What I did expect to see was Gray, lips slightly parted and breathing softly, fast asleep across from me. Instead I saw the indents of where his head had previously been in the pillow, and crumpled sheets tossed back.

I tensed immediately, shooting up in a sitting position. Looking around the hotel room, I didn't catch a glimpse of him anywhere. My heart began to beat faster, pounding roughly against my rib cage.

As the events of the previous night flooded back into my head, I realized Eight was missing too.

That sick bastard, I thought angrily, getting out of the bed. I rushed towards the closet, where I had discarded my muddy boots last night. Playing us with his sob story and then kidnapping my friend while I'm asleep.

One thing was for sure. When I laid eyes on that shaggy-haired boy, he wouldn't live to even scream before I killed him.

I hopped awkwardly to yank on the leather boots, then began to tighten the laces. When they were secure, I didn't even hesitate a second before I bolted for the door and threw it open, nearly colliding into someone.

Or rather, two someones.

"Natsu!" Gray said cheerily, eyes widening slightly when he saw me in the doorway. "Good, you're awake! I was afraid you were going to sleep all day. Although, that would be idea, you need the sleep after all that's happened-"

My eyes traveled in shock between Gray, who was leaning against the door frame, hotel key in hand, and Eight, who was clutching a bandaged arm and staring at his bare feet.

"W-wha-" I stuttered, unable to comprehend the sudden change. I must've been standing there for longer than normal, staring with my eyes nearly popping out of my head, because after a few moments Gray cleared his throat to snap me out of my shock.

"Would you kindly move out of the way now?" Gray cocked his head to the side. "We would like to get in."

"I- uh," Tripping over my words, I eventually gave up and sighed in defeat. "Yeah."

I stepped to the side and allowed Gray and Eight to pass. Gray tossed the key on the hotel-issued desk and flopped on the bed. I was glaring at him, silently demanding an explanation. When he saw my impatient expression, he rolled his eyes.

"What's your problem?" He demanded instead, crossing his arms across his chest. When my eyes traveled to Eight in indication, he pinched the bridge of his nose in exasperation. "We went to the infirmary," Gray explained, tossing his hand irritably." While you were sleeping in, Eight and I decided to see if we could get the tracker in his arm removed. And we did." Relaxing instantly, my shoulders dropped and I fell into the desk chair. "Honestly," Gray muttered, "I'm not that stupid."

I understood the underlying finish to his sentence. I'm not that stupid as to get killed by him.

"I'm just glad you're okay," I mumbled quietly. Out of the corner of my eye, Gray's hard gaze sobered, and his face lit up with color.

"Yeah," He looked away abashedly. "Well, whatever. We were just coming to put away Eight's pain relief prescription before heading down to breakfast. Want to join?"

As if on cue, my stomach growled in agreement. I wrapped my arms around my stomach, looking up sheepishly. "Guess that's a yes, then," Gray shot me a lopsided smile before pushing himself off the unmade bed. "We better get going. The free continental breakfast ends at 10."

I followed him out the door, with Eight quietly trailing behind. He hadn't said a single word since they walked in the room, and his silence unnerved me. I wondered how long it would take before I was used to his presence. Probably never.

We passed down the hall, the carpeted floors masking any sound. I looked down at Eight, who was holding his bandaged arm close to his chest. After a moment of considering if I should say something, I asked, "How's your arm?"

Eyes widening, Eight seemed surprised that I said something to him. He hesitated in his response, chewing on his lip before he whispered an almost-imperceptible "Fine."

We approached the elevator, and I jammed my index finger on the down button. The illuminated button darkened when the doors opened, and we slipped inside. Gray selected the lobby floor, and the doors closed in front of us.

Amidst the white-noise classical elevator tunes, we stood in silence. My eyes traveled down to Eight's arm again. I had seen him wincing earlier when he closed the door, so I knew he was lying before. It was a mistake I had made too many times before, but I decided to try to make idle conversation again.

"At least now you don't have to worry about self-destructing," I said, mustering a cheery tone.

Eight's lip began to quiver, and I realized immediately I had said something wrong. I mentally smacked my forehead, feeling stupid. Gray sent me a death glare, his gaze like lasers burning into the side of my face.

"Sorry," I muttered. After a moment's awkward silence, I spoke for the third time. "For real though, I'm glad the surgery went well. It's good Asano holds no more power over you; over us."

Gray nodded in agreement. "Now that your life is guaranteed, we can focus on creating a better plan. Maybe even one that saves the other Black Angels."

Eight remained silent, staring straight ahead. I wondered whether he was lost in thought or thinking of nothing at all. Eight's mind was probably so complex, he probably couldn't even decode it himself.

The elevator doors opened, and I guided them towards the breakfast area, which was an extension of the first floor. If you were lucky enough to get a good seat, you could sit in one of the booths that overlooked the lake and forest.

We stood in line in the buffet, which snaked around the area. I grabbed a plate and moved past the eggs, which I knew were made by a powder mix. Instead, I poured some waffle batter into a fast-cooking griddle and turned it slowly, waiting for it to cook. While it cooked, I put small containers of butter and syrup on my plate, and then a raspberry danish.

When the griddle beeped, I flipped it on my plate and moved towards the utensil bins. I noticed Gray and Eight huddled close together, inspecting the drinks. A flash of jealousy flickering through me, I watched as Gray showed Eight how to press the lever to release juice out of the nozzle. Eight looked mystified when orange juice began to flow into his styrofoam cup, and I stifled an amused laugh. I joined them just as Gray was getting a cup of milk for his cereal.

A girl was just cleaning up and leaving one of the booths, so we got to their spot just in time. I nearly bumped into the boy, who was invisible until I was right in front of him, startling me. I slid into the booth, shaking it off.

Eight took a seat next to Gray, both of them across from me. He was sitting closer to Gray than a normal person would, which made me feel slightly annoyed, even more so when I saw Gray didn't seem to mind.

He's just a kid, Natsu, I reminded himself. Stop being so jealous.

I busied myself by scooping butter out of the small tub and spreading it on the hot waffle. I drizzled the sticky syrup on top before cutting it into smaller bites. Shoveling the first bite into my mouth, I sunk down in bliss and made a noise of happiness, chewing the delicious food.

When my eyes fluttered open, I noticed Gray was staring at me weirdly again, shifting in his seat. I raised an eyebrow to challenge him. "What?" I tilted my chin up. "I was locked in a cage for thirteen years of my life. I will never take real food for granted again."

Red-faced, Gray looked down at his food, choosing to say nothing in response. Meanwhile, Eight was scarfing down a blueberry muffin, barely stopping to chew before swallowing. He ate the entire muffin in about fifteen seconds. He reached for a second, which disappeared shortly after.

I watched in awe, a strange feeling arising in my stomach when I saw a large smile light up on his face, his eyes widening childishly. I quickly realized that was the first time I'd ever seen Eight smile.

He took a long swig of his orange juice cup, downing it in one swallow. The ravenous look in his eyes showed he was still hungry as he scurried back towards the buffet with his plate, piling up various pastries on it.

Eight went to town on the free breakfast, trying every single food quickly, then slowing down to savor the taste.

"Do you like it?" Gray quipped while Eight was in the middle of chewing a cheese danish. Eight nodded quickly, taking another large bite. Gray looked back at me bemusedly, and we shared a bittersweet smile. This was probably the first time in his life that he'd ever had more than a rotten piece of fruit or a moldy slice of bologna to eat.

I remembered my first real meal that wasn't served at the Lab. It was a Happy Meal spent from a 500 yen bill I found on the ground - at first, I didn't know what to use the piece of paper for - but nonetheless, it held a special memory for me. That greasy cheeseburger, soggy fries, and medium Dr. Pepper were the best things I had ever had.

"So, as for the plan, it's very possible Asano already knows we're here," Gray announced, setting his food down. "Even though Eight's tracker is out, Asano would've been notified by now where he is."

"Which means he could send the other Black Angels this way," I added, nodding. "And although the superheroes could take them on easily, it's probably not the best idea for them to destroy the headquarters with so many innocent people in the vicinity. It's just not smart."

"So, what do we do?" Gray asked me. "Stay here and risk it, even though we're protected here, or venture out into the unknown and avoid the problem altogether?"

"Stay here," Eight said through a mouthful of food. "Good food."

Gray chuckled at his sudden decision. "I think that's the better idea too. If we leave HQ, we will be much more vulnerable, even if they can't find us in time. It's best to just lay low, and if the angels decide to attack, at least we're here to clean up the mess we've made. The other people here don't need to deal with our shit."

"For two more days, we will keep you safe," I promised. "The angel gone rogue."

Eight paused, pondering over my words slowly. "Just call me the Rogue Angel, then," He said.

I studied him carefully. "Nah," I shrugged. "Just Rogue."

Gray nodded. "Rogue. I like it," He offered. "It fits you. What do you think?" He looked towards Eight.

Eight - now called Rogue - nodded, keeping a stoic face. He went back to devouring his breakfast food, finishing the conversation with a lack of response. Unbeknownst to Natsu and Gray, he was overjoyed to finally have a name of his own. He kept replaying his name in his head until it didn't even sound like a word anymore, and it made him dizzy with happiness.

I stuck out my bottom lip. Shadow would've been cool too, I couldn't help but think. But Rogue fits him. Rogue...

Gray and I shared a look, one filled with worry and concern for this child. He couldn't be more than fourteen, and his thin, with his wiry frame making him look even younger. It was strange, but in that moment, I realized how important it was for us to protect him. He deserved a lot more than the shitty beginning of his life, and I wanted to be the one who gave him a second chance, a shot at a better life.

The crackling of the television in the breakfast room alerted Gray and I out of our silent conversation.

"We interrupt your regularly scheduled programming to bring you this emergency public service announcement," A voice announced. I quickly turned my head towards the voice; a blonde anchor was speaking seriously on the television, a bright red BREAKING NEWS logo behind her on screen. "What began as a predicted sunny day in Southern Japan's Starlight City has turned into chaos," She explained. "An estimated eleven winged humanoid creatures are currently attacking people on the streets, using what was formerly considered impossible powers."

The screen flashed to a grainy picture, most likely taken by cell phone, of two streaks of black carrying screaming pedestrians into the air. The photo switched, revealing another ravenous bird-like human smashing their fist into a glass window and another of him jumping into a building.

"One of our reporters has sent in a live feed," Said the news anchor, looking grim. "Let's check in with them now."

The television switched to a young-looking reporter with chunky glasses and a button-down shirt. "Starlight City is being torn apart!" He screamed into his microphone. "No one is safe here. A reported fourteen deaths within minutes of the attack-"

Everyone in the room had eyes on the television now. Even Eight looked away from his bagel and stared at the television screen in fear. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Gray stiffen. Eyes focused intently on the screen, he gripped the edge of the table so hard his knuckles were turning white.

A Black Angel flew into view on the screen, clawing at the reporter animalistically, eliciting a blood-curdling scream out of his throat. He looked towards the camera, baring razor-sharp fangs.

"Must find... Natsu Dragneel..." He hissed at the camera. "Gray Fullbuster..."

I felt my heart sink to my stomach, my heart stop, and my world explode all at once. His icy blue eyes stared into the camera, almost like he was looking right at me. I couldn't tear my eyes away from his piercing, murderous gaze.

He ran forwards in an attack, causing the cameraman to scream and drop the camera. The camera lens cracked and the picture faded into black before flipping back to the anchorwoman, who looked like she was about to cry.

"We are unsure of the identities of the two targets, but a squad is moving forward to contact them and secure them. Meanwhile, the police are struggling to contain the eleven bird humans, having only successfully contained one in a cell so far. These mutants are simply too strong, even for our police force. Only one person can save us now, and he has been missing in action for a few weeks now."

Her lip quivered as she clutched her fists tightly, leaning towards the camera and breaking news etiquette. A single tear fell out of her eye and rolled down her cheek. "Black Angel, we beg you, come out of hiding and save our city!"

The news broadcast shut off in the blink of an eye, resuming a commercial for shampoo. I barely had time to register what had happened; my world felt like it was spinning out of control on its axis, threatening to topple over. Suddenly, I felt extremely cold, a completely new feeling. I shuddered distastefully, feeling like everything was about to change.

Eleven angels... fourteen deaths.

We'd probably need to make a new plan.

But before I could say anything or even move, the sound of a plate clattering to the floor snapped me back into reality. It was Gray who knocked it over, smashing it into a thousand little pieces. He was ghostly pale, an indescribable look forming on his face as he jumped out of the booth.

Gray didn't stop to pick up the broken plate. He didn't stop for anything, not even my voice shouting out his name in desperation.

No, he kept running, without a moment's hesitation, out the door without looking back. 

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A/N: So sorry for the lack of update this month! I really have been uninspired to write lately, idk. Also I've been kinda busy with studying and vacations and stuff. Hope this chapter makes up for it. Hopefully I'll have another update up soon. Stay tuned!! xx